Veronica's Hangover
by SilverLining2k6
Summary: Why is there a jackhammer going off in Veronica's head, and who on earth could it be snuggling up against her?
1. Waking up in Vegas

**Veronica's Hangover**

**Chapter One: Waking up in Vegas**

Veronica's first thought upon waking was to wonder if anybody had caught the license plate of the truck that must have run her down. As hangovers went, this one was a doozy. Her second thought was the realization that she was naked in a strange bed being spooned by an unidentified, but also quite naked body.

A feeling of panic came over her as she racked her mind to remember how she had gotten here, and with whom she was sharing a bed.

Vegas!

Veronica had come to Vegas on a cheating spouse case. She had been cleaning up at Texas Holdem' the entire evening as she had been able to intuit the "tells" of most of the other players at her table.

There had been Sophia, a 50-ish Personal Assistant from LA whose warm smile belied her no-nonsense attitude. She tended to twist her diamond stud earring when she had a good hand. Marie, a willowy brunette in her mid-twenties from Portland looked like a supermodel, but was actually a preschool teacher. Her face was an open book, showing her pleasure or disappointment in each hand. Tucker, a large cheerful Texan with a larger voice kept buying rounds of tequila for the table. He became extra chatty when he had a good hand, but was quieter when his hand was poor. Joe, a quiet nondescript man on Veronica's right was completely unreadable to her. Finally, there was Tony Spencer to Joe's right, the man Veronica had been tailing during this excursion to Vegas. Tony was dark-haired and hairy with nervous eyes. Veronica noted that his hand would shake after betting if he had a good hand.

Veronica's client, Amanda Spencer would be relieved to learn that her husband Tony was not, in fact, having an affair. Veronica had been able to infer from a whispered conversation she had eavesdropped on earlier, that Joe was SEC and Tony had been meeting with him regularly regarding a case of corruption in his workplace. She had noticed a flash drive being discreetly passed from Tony to Joe.

Having 'solved' her case, Veronica had been in a great mood. It was so rare for there to be happy endings in cheating spouse cases. She'd laughed and raked in the pot for the latest hand, saluting Tucker with her shot of tequila.

"I don't think you should do that shot, honey." Sophia had warned. "I used to moonlight as a bartender, and I can tell from your size and weight that your last shot was one too many. You don't want to do this one. "

Veronica assured Sophia that she would be fine and swallowed her shot of tequila. That was her last conscious memory.

Now, in bed, she racked her brain for answers. She took in the hotel room - or as much of it as she could see without moving her head. It wasn't her room - it was about ten times more opulent than the budget priced room she had rented for the night. It had the luxurious feel of a penthouse. The balcony off the opposite wall, appeared to look out over the entire city, and the furnishings in her sightline were dripping in luxury, made of deep mahogany and sumptuous fabrics. The mattress she lay upon was the most comfortable she had ever encountered and the high thread-count sheets felt heavenly against her bare skin.

The body pressed up against her back was warm and hard and one calf tangled between hers. She could hear the sound of soft measured, breathing, and the exhales slightly tickled the back of her neck. The arm wrapped snugly around her eliminated any of the men from her poker table. It was too toned to be Tucker, too tan to be Joe, and not hairy enough to be Tony. Her eyes followed the arm down to the hand pressed possessively against her abdominals. The hand was large, well-manicured and wearing a platinum wedding band.

Veronica was overcome with shame. She knew that many girls eventually hooked up with a stranger for a one-night-stand. She never thought she'd be one of them, and especially not with a married man. She felt like vomiting, but that would require moving, and moving would require turning around and facing the music. She wanted just a few more minutes of blissful ignorance.

Perhaps sensing that she was awake, the body behind her stretched slightly and then pulled her more snugly against him. She felt a mouth begin kissing the place where her neck met her shoulder.

Veronica forgot her panic as a surge of electricity shot through her body. She broke out in goose bumps all over, her nipples hardened, and she felt herself become aroused almost instantly.

She kept her eyes closed, silently cursing her traitorous body. She didn't want to let on that she was awake yet. She needed time to think.

Veronica was confused about her body's reaction. It was out of the ordinary for her to feel this turned-on this quickly. Was her skin hyper sensitive due to the taboo of not knowing who was in bed with her?

Really, she could only remember one man ever making her feel like this. A man who had been like a drug to her, overwhelming her senses every time he'd touched her. He had taken off for parts unknown over five years ago without even a goodbye. The very thought of him, made Veronica even more turned on, and she tried desperately to eject the image of him from her mind.

The large hand on her stomach flexed and moved up to her hip. It slid sensually up the side of her body at a snail's pace - her hip, her waist, the side of her breast. _Whatever you do, don't moan Veronica! Don't let on that you're awake. _The hand slid around to the front of her breast with a featherlike touch. It was a movement that had always made her insanely hot. _Oh My God! It's as if he knows my body. _His other hand curled in to caress her other breast as he started nibbling his way across her shoulder. Veronica wondered if it was possible to orgasm without any downtown stimulation, because she was pretty sure it was about to happen. Against her will, she arched back against the body.

A husky laugh escaped from his lips.

"I know you're awake, Veronica." a voice whispered into her ear.

At the sound of the voice - that particular voice - her eyes flew open and she rolled onto her back.

She found herself staring into the most beautiful, expressive, chocolate brown eyes she had ever known.

"Logan." she whispered wondrously.

"Hi." He whispered back, smiling.

She reached out to touch his smooth face. He didn't look a day older than the last time she'd seen him. She wondered how she'd held up in his eyes. She bit her lip, afraid that she was looking at him like a lovesick schoolgirl.

She wanted to touch every inch of his body to ensure that this was real. She ran her hands down his chest marveling at the feel of his skin, the soft hair. His abs felt harder. He had been working out more.

She felt like she was drowning in his gaze, so she reached up a hand and pulled his mouth to hers. They kissed with an intensity that she had never been able to recapture with any man since he'd left.

Their lovemaking wasn't rushed or frenzied, but instead languid and tender - like an expedition to rediscover lost territory. What their brains had forgotten, their bodies remembered - exactly how to kiss, touch, caress. It went on well into the morning and was filled with smiles and the occasional laughter. Veronica felt - for lack of a better description - as if she'd come "home."

When it was over and they lay sated and curled around each other, Logan smiled at her.

"You didn't know it was me, did you?" he asked.

"Humph?" Veronica mumbled.

"When you woke up? You stiffened. I could tell you were panicking." Logan said.

"My head may not have known it was you, but my body sure did." Veronica admitted, laughing. "I was afraid to look, so I was cursing myself for having such a physical reaction to whoever you were."

"So you don't remember last night at all?" Logan asked.

"Nothing past playing poker and drinking tequila. You weren't even there." Veronica admitted. Logan looked immensely disappointed.

"We didn't have sex." He said quietly. At Veronica's raised eyebrow, he clarified "Last night, I mean."

"So we just got naked and went to sleep?" Veronica asked.

"You got _yourself_ naked and then went after me, wild woman," Logan laughed. "I had to beat you off with a stick."

Veronica laughed and Logan continued. "We fooled around for a few minutes, but then I had to put a stop to it. I started to worry that you wouldn't remember it, and I did not want to do that to you after everything you had been through. Or myself for that matter. I don't want to be forgettable. So we just cuddled and talked until you fell asleep."

"Logan Echolls, forgettable? Impossible!" Veronica smiled softly. "I can attest to that."

For a moment, Veronica felt an overwhelming sense of happiness, but then she entwined her right hand with his left. The glint of his platinum wedding band caught Veronica's eyes, and she was instantly off the bed.

"I have to go." She said, trying to avoid his eyes while she struggled desperately to fight back tears.

She couldn't find her clothes anywhere on the floor. She noticed some white lace lingerie that definitely did not belong to her. They looked like they'd cost more than her paycheck for an entire week. Had there been somebody else here?

"Where are my clothes?" she demanded.

"My assistant took them to have them cleaned." Logan answered, his face clouding.

"Why would she do that?" Veronica said.

"They were sticky and covered in champagne. Come back to bed Veronica." Logan pleaded.

Veronica started pulling at the sheet to try to cover herself.

"There are robes in the bathroom." Logan pointed out.

Veronica stomped off in the direction of the bathroom. When she hadn't returned after a couple of minutes, Logan followed. He found her sitting at the vanity wrapped in a fluffy white robe, her face in her hands.

He wrapped himself in the other robe and then put his hands on her shoulders. "Am I really _that_ bad to wake up to in the morning?" he asked softly.

Veronica raised her head and met Logan's eyes in the mirror. Tears streamed steadily down her face.

"You're married!" She shouted like an accusation.

The look on Logan's face showed surprise and then turned wistful, and a small smile played at the corners of his lips. "Yes. I am married. We should talk about that."

Veronica's tears came on harder. She hated herself because she knew the tears were not out of shame, but out of heartbreak. She admitted to herself that she had always imagined Logan out there somewhere pining away for her. It was delusional, but it got her through the night. Now however, she had incontrovertible proof that Logan had moved on without her, and it felt like her heart was breaking into a thousand pieces. Logan knelt down behind her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to lean back against him. He buried his face in her shoulder.

"You can't do that!" Veronica said trying unsuccessfully to pull away from his strong arms. "What would your _wife_ say about this?" she asked venomously.

"I think she'd be pretty confused, and then she would definitely jump to the wrong conclusion." Logan said in her ear, he kissed the tears on her cheek.

"Wrong conclusion?" Veronica asked incredulously. She yanked away from him and turned to face him.

"You took vows!" she shouted. "Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

Logan met her eyes. "It means _everything_ to me." his voice was soft like a whisper.

"So prove it. Call her up and tell her what you've done." Veronica challenged him.

After a moment of staring at her, Logan said "OK" pleasantly and walked away.

Veronica sat, mouth agape for a moment and then ran after him. She found him standing near the nightstand reaching for his cell.

"Wait!" she said, holding her hands up in protest. "I didn't mean it."

Logan held up a finger to her as he scrolled through his contact list.

"Don't do it Logan!" Veronica said. "Don't hurt your wife just to prove a point to me."

"But I'd do anything for you, Veronica. You know that." Logan said sweetly, leaning over and giving her a chaste kiss on the lips. He held the phone up to his ear as Veronica looked on helplessly. Veronica's phone began ringing in her purse.

"Logan...no." She tried to stop him one more time, but he pointed across the room. "Aren't you going to answer that?" he asked, turning his back to her.

Veronica looked at Logan one more time in desperation before walking across the room to fish her cell out of her purse.

She checked the display, but didn't recognize the phone number.

"Hello?" she said, trying to control the quaver in her voice.

"Whatcha wearing?" She heard Logan's voice on her phone.

"Logan?" she asked, spinning around. His back was still to her.

"Oh, I'm sorry." he said. "OK. Back to business. So...I have a confession. This beautiful blonde that I've been in love with for almost half my life wanted me to call and explain how I'd spent a morning of passion with her."

"Real funny, Logan." Veronica said, hanging up. She flopped down on the bed in relief. "I thought you were really going to do it. Where'd you get my new phone number anyway?"

Logan turned back to look at her. "You programmed it into my phone last night." he said.

He stared at her for a minute quizzically. "Are you really that obtuse Veronica?" he asked finally.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Veronica asked.

Logan sighed. He climbed onto the bed next to her and lay on his side looking into her eyes. He reached out a hand and touched her cheek, a soft smile formed on his face, and his eyes softened.

"Look at your left hand, Veronica." he said, his voice a caress. It took a moment for her to break free from his gaze. With a heavy sigh, she turned her eyes.

On Veronica's left hand was a delicate band of platinum. She stared at it for a moment in incomprehension.

Her eyes jerked back to Logan's.

"You?" she asked, a lump in her throat. Logan smiled shyly and nodded.

"Me?" she asked. He smiled and nodded again.

"Vows?" she asked.

He laughed. "Yes. Very creative vows, if I may say so."

She covered her face in her hands, struggling for breath.

"Breathe Veronica." Logan said, gently stroking her arm.

"Logan!" she said, or she asked. She wasn't sure if it was a statement or a question.

"Yes wifey?" he asked.

"What do we do now? Get an annulment?" she asked.

"That really amazing thing we did when we woke up this morning? That was consummating the marriage, Veronica," he said.

"Divorce?" she asked shakily.

"No." he said.

"No, what?" she asked.

"No, I'm not getting a divorce." he said quietly.

"We can't just stay married." Veronica moaned. "We're not a couple. We don't even live in the same city."

"I'm coming home." Logan answered softly. "We talked about it last night."

"Are you nuts? You're going to pack up and move back to Neptune?"

"Yes. To be with my wife." Logan answered, placing a kiss on her forehead.

"You don't realize how crazy this is?" Veronica asked. "We can't just stay married."

"You promised me a year." Logan said.

"What?"

"I told you before the wedding that the only way I would agree to marry you was if you were committed to spending one consecutive year trying to make our marriage work. You actually signed an agreement to that effect."

"Like a pre-nup?" Veronica asked.

"No. I would never ask you sign a pre-nup." Logan laughed. "Everything that's mine is yours. Plus, I know you're not after my money. It was really just an agreement typed-up at the Wedding Chapel. It's not legally binding, but I hope you'll honor it anyway."

"What did you mean by 'the only way you would agree to marry me'? That sounds like I was chasing you around with a shot-gun." Veronica said.

"Well, you _did_ come up with the plan." Logan admitted, smiling.

Veronica stared at Logan, unable to formulate words. He leaned in to her and pressed a kiss to her lips. She let him deepen the kiss for a moment before pulling away.

"I don't know how to deal with this. I need to go home. I have cases to work on. I need my clothes." She said.

"You need to process." Logan said, nodding. He rolled over and picked up his cell, dialing a number.

"Sophia? Hey! My wife is ready to bolt now. Can you drop off her clean clothes? Thanks."

Logan pressed a kiss into Veronica's forehead. "I'll see you when I get to town." he said. He rose from the bed and walked into the bathroom. A moment later, Veronica heard the shower start up.

Had she just been dismissed?

"Bolt?" She asked herself. "What had he meant by 'ready to bolt'?"

Unbidden, images came to her mind of her running away from the Camelot after their first kiss, running away from his un-birthday party after discovering Aaron's cameras, running away on the beach after he'd begged her to believe in his innocence in Lilly's murder, running away after he'd confessed his "epic" love to her at Alterna-Prom and the next morning when she'd found Kendall in his room, running away from him after learning about the fire in Mexico, and after learning the truth about Madison. She ran her hands through her hair and sighed deeply.

Veronica walked deliberately to the bathroom and dropped the robe from her shoulders. Stepping into the steamy shower, she pressed herself up against Logan's back, wrapping her arms around him. She had always thought his back was pretty stellar - as far as backs went.

"One more time can't hurt." she said, kissing a path up his spine.

Logan turned in her arms and pressed his mouth hard against hers.

"Many. Many. More. Times. Wife." he said between kisses as his hands tangled in her hair.

When they exited the bathroom, Veronica found her outfit from the previous evening set out on the bed - cleaned and pressed - along with her underclothes. Veronica dressed in silence while Logan watched her from the bed.

She disappeared back to the bathroom to pull her hair back into a ponytail, but didn't bother with any makeup.

Logan followed her out to the living room dropping down on the couch. Putting her hand on the door handle, Veronica looked at Logan awkwardly.

"So..." she said.

"At least stay for breakfast. I know how you love room service."

"I can't stay." Veronica said. "I have work to catch up on."

"I can fly you back to Neptune." Logan offered. "We can take my plane."

"I drove here, and I need my car." Veronica answered. "A plane? Really, Logan? Overcompensating much?"

Logan smirked at her.

"Ah...How I've missed your caustic wit, darling. I _will_ be seeing you soon, Veronica." Logan's words were a promise.

"Just because we had sex doesn't mean we're _together_ Logan. We've had some real issues in the past."

"Veronica, we're married. The only way we could be _more_ 'together' would be if we did a Vulcan Mind Meld."

"This is crazy, Logan. We've always made each other miserable."

"You know what Veronica?" He said. "I've spent the past five years miserable without you. I think I prefer being miserable _with_ you, where I can at least kiss you and wake up next to you and laugh at your corny jokes."

Veronica turned back to look at him, thoughtfully. "No one writes songs about the ones that come easy." She said quietly, a smile playing at the corners of her lips.

"Exactly." Logan said.

She gave him a little half smile and opened the door.

"Veronica?" Logan jumped off the couch and rushed to the door.

Veronica stopped and turned back to Logan. He pulled her into a hug, burying his face in her hair, and squeezing tightly for a moment. Upon releasing her, he leaned over and gave her a deep but gentle kiss.

Afterwards, he looked down into her eyes. "No matter what the crazy circumstances were, this was _always_ meant to be." he whispered, touching her cheek.

Veronica's eyes welled up with tears, and she pulled away rushing out of the room.

Five years of keeping her heart carefully guarded, and Logan Freaking Echolls had managed to slip past her defenses in one morning. How did he always know just what to say or do to get under her skin?

* * *

**A/N: **I have two mammoth sized fics I'd really like to work on - one present day and one AU pre-series - but I feel like I need to finish up some of the smaller ones that I've started first. I hate leaving things unfinished. This is the first one that I have a decent grasp on. Should be around 5-6 chapters - most of them partially written.

**A/N2: **I've never been to Vegas or any other gambling establishment. I have no idea if poker tables are clustered together or spread out. I have no idea if Texans named Tucker can buy rounds of tequila for the table, or if needs to stay in the bar. I'm going by what I've seen on TV, so if I'm wrong, chalk it up to artistic license. :)


	2. Neptune bound

**Veronica's Hangover**

**Chapter 2 – Neptune Bound**

A/N - A lot of thinking happens here. The next chapter should be more interesting.

**Flashback - Saturday Evening **

_Logan hit speed dial #1 on his cell. It was answered on the third ring.  
_

_"Logan?" the voice asked. He heard a giggle in the background and a girl's voice asking, "Did you say Logan?"_

_"Sophia? What are you doing?" Logan asked._

_"Currently? Losing all my money at Texas Holdem'. Why are you asking?" she asked cautiously. She knew what was coming next._

_"Well...I know I gave you the rest of the night off, but Mr. Lee was able to catch a later flight, and wants to meet after all. Are you available?"_

_"He wants to meet this late? It's almost ten o'clock." Sophia groaned. _

_"He's known for keeping unusual hours. His plane should be landing soon. He can be here within the hour." Logan answered. "Will you be ready, or should we try for tomorrow afternoon instead?" _

_Sophia sighed audibly. "I can set it up for tonight. I need a minute though. There's a young lady here that I'd like to escort back to her room. Some Texas good old boy has been plying her with tequila all night and I think she overestimated her tolerance for liquor. I don't want to leave her to her own defenses." _

_Logan could hear protests in the form of a Texas twang in the background._

_"You and your wounded birds." Logan said affectionately. _

_"Says the most wounded bird I've ever had to mend." Sophia shot back. _

_"Stay there, I'll be right down to help - just in case Texas gets any ideas about following you back to the girl's room." Logan said. _

_He checked himself one more time in his hotel suite's full-length mirror. He wore a black Armani two-button suit, black pocket square, black shirt with skinny white pinstripes, the top two buttons undone, and no tie.* He added a Cartier watch and exited his suite._

_Minutes later, Logan was strolling across the casino floor, scanning for Sophia. He had a good idea where he would find her. He located her in the same general area where they had played poker the previous evening. _ _They had arrived in Vegas two days earlier to meet with a client from Japan. While there, Sophia had been able to secure a meeting with the elusive Mr. Lee, provided they remain in Vegas an extra two days. _

_Sophia Dane was in her mid-fifties with mid-length lustrous black hair, dark brown eyes, and youthful, well-taken care of Mediterranean skin. She had obviously been a great beauty in her youth. She was the closest thing to a mother that Logan had ever had. _

_"Over here, Logan." Sophia called with a little wave. Turning to her right, she addressed a tiny blonde with a giant pile of chips. "Annie? This nice gentleman is Logan. He and I are going to help you get back to your room so that you can sleep off the tequila ok?"_

_At the mention of Logan's name, the blonde looked up and Logan's heart stopped. _

_Somebody at the table mumbled something about other people finally having a turn to win a hand or two, but all of Logan's attention was focused on the blonde. _

_"Logan?" she asked, and he felt butterflies in his tummy at the sound of her voice._

_She pushed back her chair and rose, taking a step towards him. Logan couldn't breathe, and he couldn't move. She took a second step towards him and a third. The gleam in her eye was almost predatory. _

_She took the last three steps at a run and launched herself at Logan. His arms went around her back and he lifted so that her feet dangled inches off the ground. She squeezed him as tightly as she could and then pulled back, framing his face in her hands and began peppering him with kisses as he laughed - his cheeks, his forehead, his nose, his chin. Finally their eyes reconnected and she moved in for a soft brushing of her lips against his that made his knees so weak that he almost dropped her. _

_He set her carefully on the ground and looked her over. She looked much as she had the last time he'd seen her. Her blonde hair was mid-length and wavy, the bangs pulled back and secured with a clip. She wore a straight black skirt, and a filmy, feminine blouse with short, slightly fluttery sleeves, black sandals, and no hose. She was still beautiful and she still smelled of Promises._

_Logan looked over at Sophia who was scowling at him. _

_"I take it you've met." Sophia deadpanned. "Annie? Come over here and collect your chips, sweetheart."_

_Veronica looked at the table and back at Logan. "Don't you go anywhere." she commanded him, poking him in the chest. _

_"I'm not going anywhere." he promised, grinning. He had tried to fight it. He'd put up a good three seconds of mental resistance, before he'd admitted to himself that he was a goner. God, he had missed being ordered around by Veronica Mars. _

_Veronica returned to the table and gathered her chips shoveling them into her purse. _

_Returning to Logan, she grabbed his hand in a surprisingly strong grip, and led him away._

_While Veronica cashed out her chips, Sophia took Logan aside. _

_"Another one?" she hissed at him._

_"Another what?" he asked, confused._

_"Another innocent girl whom you've allowed to fall for you? When will you ever learn to be more careful with their hearts?"_

_Logan laughed bitterly. "Innocent? If only you knew Soph. If only you knew."_

_Returning, Veronica entwined her fingers with Logan's and flashed him a smile. _

_Logan leaned over and examined her eyes, searchingly. "You really are drunk." he laughed. _

_"Would I have said she was drunk if she wasn't?" Sophia grumbled._

_"Never underestimate this one. She's a crafty little thing." he said with a grin. "I wouldn't put it past her to play drunk to make people underestimate her."_

_"Well, she's not playing drunk now. Come on Annie. Where's your room key." Sophia asked putting an arm around Veronica._

_"I'm not going to my room." Veronica said. _

_"Sweetheart, you need to sleep off the tequila." Sophia cajoled._

_"If you think I'm letting Logan Echolls out of my sight now that I've found him, you've got another thing coming." Veronica said crossing her arms on her chest._

_Logan grinned down at her. _

_Sophia raised her eyebrows. Logan was not the type of guy to tolerate possessive girls. _

_"Some help here, Logan?" Sophia asked. _

_"Oh no." he laughed. "There's a delicate pecking order in this relationship" he gestured to himself and Veronica. "And I'm at the bottom of it. Speak to the boss." He pointed at Veronica._

_Sophia sighed dramatically. "Annie. Sweetheart. Trust me. You do NOT want this guy. He is a player. He is a scoundrel. He doesn't "do" relationships. He leaves broken hearts behind everywhere we go. Do not let the pretty face fool you."_

_Veronica let out a laugh and looked at Sophia incredulously. "Are we talking about the same guy? Logan 'hopeless romantic' Echolls? Logan, who plans romantic dates, feeds you French fries even when he wants them for himself, makes Jane Austen references, makes epic love speeches, and is so sentimental he's practically a girl?"_

_Sophia gaped at Logan as Veronica continued. "Except for that hero complex - that is most definitely all male."_

_Logan's grin grew larger. He wondered how he had ever lived without her these past five years. _

_"Annie." Sophia begged. "We'll get you to your room and you can catch up with Logan tomorrow. He has a meeting in an hour. I'll personally add you to his schedule."_

_"Not a chance." Veronica said. "Where Logan goes, I'm going. I'll be quiet, though. I can play Angry Birds on my phone or something."_

_"Sophia" Logan said without taking his eyes off Veronica. "Reschedule the meeting."_

_"Logan!" she said, shocked. "Are you nuts? You've been trying to land this deal for months!"_

_"Yeah, but I've been trying to land this girl for years!" he answered with a smirk. _

_Sophia's mouth dropped open. "Who are you, and where did you hide the real Logan Echolls?"_

_Logan laughed. "Maybe you've never met the real Logan Echolls. I think he's been crumpled up at the bottom of this girl's purse." he pointed at Veronica's purse and smiled up at Sophia with a twinkle in his eye._

_"And you haven't been formally introduced to this little bundle of trouble. Her name isn't Annie. Sophia, meet Veronica Mars. The love of my life, or the bane of my existence depending on the day of the week. Veronica, this is Sophia Dane. My personal assistant, self-appointed mom and protector of all females from my wicked advances."_

_Sophia sat down heavily on a nearby chair._

_"This is Veronica? __**The**__ Veronica?" she asked. Logan nodded happily. "And here I thought it was her that needed to be protected."_

_"Nice to meet you, Sophia. If anybody has ever needed a mom, other than me, it's Logan. Bane of your existence?" she asked, turning back to Logan. "Why does that feel like an endearment coming from you?" She laughed. "God, I've missed you Logan!" _

_"I've missed you too." he said sincerely. "Every. Single. Day."_

_Overwhelmed by emotion, he hugged her for a moment. _

"_So what will it be, V? Want to see a show? Cirque de Soleil? Dinner? Please don't say Celine Dion! Hell, if you want Celine, I'll even give you Celine."_

_"Are you crazy?" Veronica laughed. "As someone who's made me at least five really great mixtapes, you should know exactly what kind of music I like, and here's a hint. It's not Celine Dion" _

_Logan beamed. "So, have anything else in mind?" He waggled his eyebrows at her. Lewdly. Because it was expected of him._

_"You lead, I'll follow." she answered, smiling. _

_"Sophia. Go win back your money." Logan smiled. "I'll take care of Veronica."_

_"But who's going to take care of you?" Sophia complained. She walked off grumbling and shaking her head._

* * *

**Present time – Veronica's Saturn en route to Neptune:**

Veronica's frustration level rose steadily during her drive back to Neptune. Her hangover, which had seemed to have abated at Logan's first touch, was back in full force, and Ibuprofen was not helping.

Even worse, was how she could not get Logan out of her mind. When she tried to drive in silence, her thoughts inevitably turned to Logan every thirty seconds. His deep brown, expressive eyes, the feel of his hands on her, the clean scent of his body, the way it felt to kiss him.

She turned on the radio to get Logan out of her head, but inevitably, a song would come on to remind her of him. It seemed as if every song on the radio was of the 'I screwed up and lost the best thing I ever had' variety. The remainder were optimistic, hopeful love songs. In frustration, she would power off the radio, only to begin the cycle again a few minutes later.

She dug around in her console for the latest Desmond Fellows CD. That should be safe, right? Desmond Fellows would make her think of Piz. Poor sweet Piz who had never been able to inspire the passion in Veronica that Logan could manage with just the raise of an eyebrow.

However, Desmond Fellows only helped for a few minutes. Her mind inevitably slipped back in time to her first meeting of Desmond. She remembered the elevator ride up to his suite. How Logan had jumped back into the elevator at the last second and how she'd had butterflies in her tummy as he'd smiled shyly at her. He'd inquired about the weekend she'd spent in Piz's dorm room, needing reassurance that she hadn't cheated. Logan may have broken her heart when she'd found out about Madison, but the thought of him experiencing any pain thinking she may have cheated on him was unbearable. She offered him the reassurance he needed, and he'd smiled shyly again. The sexual tension in that elevator could have been cut with a knife. Even after the doors had opened, Piz waiting on the other side, Veronica had experienced a crazy desire to jump back in to ride the elevator with Logan all day – Parker and Piz be damned.

_Face it Veronica, you couldn't get him out of your head for the past five years, why should it be any different now that you have touched him, and kissed him, and soaped-up his delicious back. Ugh! Stop it!_

She had no idea what she was going to do about this marriage.

_Marriage? The girl who'd claimed she was never going to get married? The girl who'd sat on a hundred stake-outs, gathering money-shots of spouses committing adultery? The girl who'd run a cell-phone trace on her boyfriend because he had chosen to go to a casino party instead of hanging out at the library? The girl who'd blackmailed her own boyfriend?_

How was she going to tell everyone? Her dad? Wallace? Weevil? Mac?

_They will all freak. Except maybe Mac - she had been a fan of Logan. Maybe I should just keep this to myself for a while. No need to rile up the troops if Logan decides we should just take care of it quietly._

Nevertheless, she had agreed to this one-year commitment. She should have asked to see the document. She could have had Cliff verify the legality of it.

_That's not fair, Veronica. Legal or not, you made an agreement. Why won't you just admit that you're pleased about this situation? He waited for you. You've been waiting for him. He's been pining for you all of these years, just like you have for him. He loves you. You love him. What is one year out of your life with a gorgeous, affectionate, devoted, sex god whom you love?_

But they'd had so many problems in the past that they had never worked out.

_Such as?_

Madison Sinclair.

_A one-time situation when you were broken up._

He beat up Piz.

_Misguided, but done out of love. You sure weren't angry when he beat up Gory Sorokin for the same reason. You were actually pretty turned-on._

The hotel fire in Mexico.

_Another one-time thing, and Mercer had probably dosed him with GHB. Seeing a pattern here, Veronica? Does Logan ever get a second chance at anything? _

But there were problems.

_What problems? He doesn't cheat. He's mostly honest - a few lies of omission here and there, but you're one to talk about lying. Always by your side. Even when you're not together, he still always manages to come through with the save. You could do a lot worse in the devotion category. How many times were you there for him when he needed you? Ouch. Low blow._

Veronica turned the radio back on, scanning until she found a hard rock station. At least songs about sex, drugs, and rock & roll wouldn't make her think of Logan.

_Unless they were a songs about sexual prowess. Ugh. She needed therapy._

* * *

**Vegas conference room**

After wrapping up the deal with Mr. Lee successfully, Logan held Sophia back.

"We need to talk Soph." He said.

"Just spit it out, Logan." she said, not liking the look on his face.

"You know how you're always complaining about LA? The smog? The traffic?"

Sophia's eyes narrowed. "Never mind. Don't spit it out. After that ridiculous stunt last night, I don't even want to hear what you have planned for an encore."

"You wound me Soph. How could you describe my joyous nuptials as a ridiculous stunt?"

"I don't see a bride anywhere." she answered pointedly.

"And that leads us back to the topic I want to discuss. I'll just be blunt. We're moving Soph. Picking up and moving to Neptune, California. You've been pressuring me for a long time to build corporate headquarters for Salacia Corp**, and I've always known it would be in Neptune."

"Are you completely off your rocker Logan?" Sophia said.

"No, just a boy in love." he sighed, fluttering his lashes.

"Neptune, California is the most backwards, corrupt, evil, little town in the state."

"Yet it produced such a fine, upstanding citizen as me." Logan smirked.

"And others like Woody Goodman, Richard Casablancas Sr., Cassidy Casablancas, Mercer Hayes, Duncan Kane, and Aaron Echolls. You really want to set up shop in the same town that actually acquitted your father of murder?"

"He did have a good team of lawyers."

"The town where you were falsely accused of murder not once, but twice?"

"But Sheriff Lamb is no longer 'serving and protecting'."

"The town that almost rioted after the charges against you were dismissed?"

"Well, in the town's defense, I was a bit of a jackass back then."

"How will they react now that you're a full-fledged jackass?" Sophia asked.

"However will I contain my ego with you around to flatter me?" Logan smirked.

"I refuse, Logan. We are not setting up shop in Neptune, California. Period." Sophia insisted.

"Would you prefer a condo or a house, Soph?" Logan asked.

* * *

**Veronica's Saturn – en route to Neptune.**

Veronica had almost turned around to head back to Vegas twice. Actually, she had turned back the second time, drove 15 minutes in the other direction, before pulling off the road.

She rested her head on the steering wheel for a moment. What would be the point of going back? Who's to say that he was even still there?

She checked her call history, locating the call she'd received from Logan that morning, and saving him to her contacts. She touched the screen where his name displayed as if she could touch him through the phone.

She pulled back onto the road heading to Neptune. Logan said he would come to her; she had to have faith that he'd meant it.

Why was she suddenly so worried? She'd lived without Logan Echolls for all these years. Why did she suddenly feel like it would kill her if she had to live without him any longer? This couldn't be healthy. She was Veronica Mars - Ruled by her head, knowledge and logic were her guides. Heart and emotion were Logan's territory.

She had survived losing Logan before. She would throw herself into her work. If Logan showed up, fantastic. If not, well, she'd survived losing Logan before.

An hour outside of Neptune, Veronica came a decision. Should Logan actually show up in Neptune, she would give this marriage thing a shot.

Logically, it was craziness, but maybe all of the breakups had been craziness. She'd never felt any better after breaking up with Logan. Sure, he had been punished for lying about his alibi, burning down the city pool, or sleeping with Madison, but she had suffered as much as he had by being apart. By punishing Logan, she was punishing herself. She would have to work on learning how to forgive.

Following her head had never led her to happiness. Maybe she would try things Logan's way.

* * *

**Los Angeles – Logan's penthouse**

Logan had a bad habit of following his heart, and Logan's heart was telling him to head immediately to the airport to fly to Neptune. He had been home for two hours, and he'd already hired a moving company. All he needed to do was to pack a bag, and he could be with her by bedtime. But Logan's heart had been his destruction in the past when it came to Veronica.

His head was telling him that Veronica would need time. At this moment, she was probably furious and trying to plan her escape from the marriage. He needed to give her a tiny bit of space to allow her to warm to the idea of having him in her life.

Nothing was going to keep him away from her now that she was back in his life, but he didn't need to be there this exact minute. He'd give Veronica a few days of peace before he headed home.

Home. Sounded great.

* * *

* Outfit stolen from Josef Kostan (A.K.A. Armani Logan) E1X9 because his clothes were totally swoon-worthy, and Logan had to grow up some time.

** Salacia: Roman goddess of the sea and saltwater. Neptune's bride.


	3. The Fettuccine

**Veronica's Hangover**

**Chapter 3: The Fettuccine**

* * *

**Flashback: Saturday Evening - Casino**

_Veronica clung to Logan's left hand as they wandered aimlessly through the casino. They were quiet for a while, each thinking how nice it felt to be touching the other – even if it was only a handhold. Noticing an exterior door, Veronica tugged Logan through it. _

_The courtyard was dominated by a large illuminated fountain. The fragrance of a several types of flowers hung in the air, while the splashes and gurgles of the fountain drowned out the bells-and-whistles sounds from the casino._

_Veronica hopped up on the ledge of the fountain, and they walked for a moment around its perimeter. When Logan's orbit stretched outwards causing their clasped hands to lift horizontally, Veronica gave a little tug to pull him closer. Laughing, Logan did a little Fred Astaire twirl inward so that his left hand crossed over his right shoulder, pulling her arm around his neck. Standing on the ledge put Veronica slightly above eye level, and she didn't hesitate for a second before pressing her mouth to his, using her other hand to pull him closer. Logan responded immediately, opening his lips to hers and tangling his fingers into her hair. _

"_What was that for?" Logan breathed, minutes later when they broke for air. _

"_I just wanted to get that out of the way so I wouldn't be thinking about it all night." Veronica grinned. _

_"It still feels the same." Logan sighed._

"_I knew it would." Veronica answered, smiling down at him before kissing him again._

_Veronica pulled a quarter from her purse and tossed it in the fountain. She didn't tell Logan that she'd wished that he would come back home to Neptune. He helped her down from the ledge with a little twirl and they explored the courtyard garden for a bit before heading back inside the casino._

_They found a table to sit at and Logan ordered them a bottle of champagne, which they drank as they caught up. Veronica told him how she'd realized she wouldn't enjoy working for the FBI. Veronica did not do so well with rules and restrictions. She'd realized that while she would never have the paycheck or prestige of working at the bureau, being a private investigator was her calling and it made her happy. She still worked with Keith, splitting cases based on ability. At her size, Veronica was never going to be able to bring in bail jumpers, but there were areas where she excelled over Keith. They still made a great team. So what if she sometimes had to scrimp to keep up the mortgage payment? _

_Logan ordered a second bottle of champagne before describing to Veronica how he'd graduated from UCLA. Even before graduation, he had founded his company The Salacia Corp after spending a year being mentored by one of the greatest minds in the business world. If he'd been filthy rich before, he was filthy stinking rich now. Due to their growth in the past year, they were ready to begin a major expansion and hiring spree. He described to Veronica how Sophia had been his right hand since even before forming the company, and how indispensable she had been to him. _

_They grew quiet for a moment regarding each other. At the look on Veronica's face, Logan asked her what she was thinking._

_"I'm afraid if I let go of your hand, you'll disappear again." Veronica confessed. _

_Logan wasn't sure how to respond. He wanted to reassure her and promise her he wouldn't go anywhere. However, had she been sober, she would have made her excuses an hour ago with a promise to call or write. He knew it was the alcohol making her affectionate and nostalgic, but was it so wrong for him to want to bask in the little bit of time he had with her?_

_"What went wrong with us Logan?" Veronica asked suddenly._

_"It might have been you telling me I was out of your life forever." he answered. _

_Veronica winced. "I knew I was lying the second it came out of my mouth." she said. "I learned so much at Quantico, and I came back with so many things I wanted to tell you about, and you were just gone."_

_Logan sighed. "I couldn't stay". His eyes begged her to understand. "I spent my entire Senior year watching you get cuddly with Duncan, and it almost killed me. I couldn't deal with it all over again with a new guy. It was time for me to make a clean break."_

_"Who, Piz?" Veronica asked. "Piz and I didn't even survive the summer apart."_

_Logan face-palmed. Perhaps he had miscalculated._

_"I never tried to hide from you, Veronica. I didn't change my name, and I wasn't unlisted. I made sure that you would be able to find me, should you ever choose to. I used to daydream that one day you would show up at my door." Logan told her._

_"I daydreamed about showing up at your door too!" Veronica admitted. "I did find you. I actually parked outside your apartment once or twice, but I couldn't work up the nerve to knock. I figured you'd left to get away from me. Who was I to intrude on your new life?"_

_Logan groaned in frustration, running his hands up the sides of his face and into his hair. "If I had known…" he began when he looked back up at her. He trailed off, not sure how to finish the sentence. _

_Veronica smiled regretfully. "But what really went wrong with us? Forget Madison and the fight with Piz - why couldn't we make things work?"_

_"I've had years to think about that. As much as I'd like to be fair and noble, and accept my half of the blame, I'd say it's mostly your fault." Logan flashed her a smirk. _

_Veronica laughed and slapped him on the arm. "Logan!"_

_"You think I'm kidding?" Logan asked. "I'm not perfect, Veronica. I know I'm too reckless and impulsive. And I can be too secretive. Especially when I'm afraid of disappointing you." _

_Veronica nodded in agreement._

"_But you quit on me. Every single time. I would have been willing to work through anything with you. Anything! But how could I? You never gave me a chance. How could we fix things when only one of us was willing to try?"_

_For at least a minute, Veronica sat quietly reflecting on Logan's words. _

_"You're right, Logan." She admitted, finally. "I'm sorry that I gave up on you so easily."_

_"You were like this pit bull, Veronica. Once you got your teeth into something, nothing could make you let go - unless it was me." Logan's voice was thick._

_Veronica nodded, unshed tears in her eyes._

"_Hey, I'm sorry." Logan said catching her eyes and squeezing her hand. "I'm an ass. You're finally here with me, and I'm making you feel bad. Let's forget all about it, OK?"_

_"You know what I wish?" Veronica asked after a moment. _

"_World peace? More wishes? Hot monkey sex with me?" Logan asked._

_Veronica responded with a tiny grin. _

_"I wish somebody had locked us together in a room until we'd worked out our issues."_

_"If I try really hard to find hidden meanings in that statement, it almost sounds as if you wish the two of us were still together." Logan observed, trying not to sound too hopeful. _

_"Every. Single. Day." Veronica answered. _

_Logan felt as if he had been gut-punched. He attempted to lighten the moment with humor. _

_"I can have that arranged. Sophia would be happy to lock me up somewhere, just to get me out of her hair for a few days. Do we have to do the whole bread and water thing, or could we get delivery –maybe a little slot on the floor for sliding food through?."_

_Veronica laughed softly and then a thought occurred to her. "There are other ways to be locked together?"_

_"Handcuffs?" Logan asked, overenthusiastically. Veronica slapped him on the arm. _

_Logan laughed, noticing Sophia approaching their table from behind Veronica and giving her a little wave. _

"_Sorry. What were you trying to say?" _

_"Well…" Veronica said, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "We are in Vegas…"_

_"And...?" Logan asked._

_"We could always... gogetmarried." She rushed through the second half of the sentence as if it were one word._

_"Don't tease me, Veronica." Logan said, groaning._

_"Who's teasing?" Veronica smiled up at him. Logan stared at her, speechless for a good 30 seconds._

_"Sophia?" Logan said, not breaking his eye contact with Veronica._

_"Don't even think about it Logan." Sophia growled._

_"See what you can set up in the next hour or so." Logan said._

_"Absolutely not, Logan!" Sophia said._

_"See if you can find Veronica a dress. You want to go with her?"_

_"No, I'm not picky. Just make it simple and elegant" Veronica smiled._

_"Are you sure you want to do this?" Logan asked._

_"And not have to spend the next five years missing you? You bet!" Veronica answered._

_"This is not happening Logan." Sophia said, sternly._

_"You're wasting time Soph." Logan said. "What size are you, V?"_

_"2 petite" she answered._

_"Shoes?" he asked._

_"6"_

_"Logan, are you listening to me?" Sophia asked. "Not happening."_

_"It's happening Soph." Logan said. "I believe in you. You can pull this off."_

_"I can, but I won't, Logan." Sophia said._

_"Text me with the location, and have a limo meet us out front. Any special requests Veronica?"_

_"Elvis!" Veronica said, clapping. "If we're going to have a tacky Vegas wedding, we have to have Elvis. Lilly would love it!"_

_Logan smiled indulgently. "Elvis it is! Sophia, spare no expense. Oh, I have a special request. Make sure the flowers are lilies, and find at least one donut. Oh, and make sure the rings are platinum. I love you, and have faith in you. See you in a bit."_

_Logan stood and led Veronica off towards the slot machines. He pulled her snug against his side, whispering something in her ear, and she laughed. _

_Sophia leaned over and gently banged her head against the table several times. _

_Then sighing dramatically, she whipped out her cell and got to work._

* * *

**Present Time – Mars Investigation.**

"Hey, dad! You mind if I cut out an hour early today?" Veronica called, while shutting down her computer.

"Who are you? My daughter, the workaholic would never ask me that question." Keith joked."

"Your daughter the workaholic has a light workload right now, and hasn't been sleeping well."

"You want to talk about it?" Keith asked.

"Talk about what?" Veronica asked.

"Something has been bothering you all week long. I've tried to mind my business, but I'm getting concerned." Keith said.

"Everything's fine, dad! As I said, I haven't been sleeping well. I'll take a nap when I get home, and I should be fine." She kissed Keith on the cheek and headed out to her car.

Keith had a point. Veronica had been in a black mood for the past three days. She'd almost spilled the entire story to Keith several times, but her father had never been Logan's biggest fan. How could she explain that she had gotten drunk and married the bad boy he had been so relieved to see her to kick to the curb?

_Three days! _

_Three days, and she hadn't heard a peep from Logan. __Three damn days, Logan! So much for your one-year commitment! __ Why hadn't he at least called? He had her number. Three days he had been back in her life, and he was already making her crazy. __Logan Freaking Echolls!_

* * *

**Veronica's House Neptune, CA**

Veronica pulled up to her small bungalow wearily and parked. She'd purchased the modest brick home two years earlier when she'd realized that a father with a shotgun was seriously cramping her dating life. It hadn't helped much. She hadn't had a serious boyfriend since she'd moved in. That was for the best, she supposed. For a while there, she'd become a serial monogamist to a string of incredibly boring men. She wasn't sure what it said about her that she was incapable of attracting a man who excited her. Well… there was that one guy - her husband to be specific - but it had been _three damn days_ and she was beginning to lose her patience!

About to insert her key in the lock, she noticed that the door was already unlocked. She turned the knob silently and called out. "Whoever you are, I have a Taser and I know how to use it. _And_ my finger only has to hit send to dial 911."

"Whatever happened to 'Hi honey, I'm home!'?" Logan called from her kitchen.

Veronica pulled her door closed silently and did an extended happy dance on her front porch, before reopening it and entering her home, her face the picture of composure.

"I'm in here!" she heard Logan call.

Veronica followed the sound of his voice to her tiny kitchen. Logan was wearing a red and white striped apron over his jeans and t-shirt, humming, and whisking something in a saucepan. Whatever it was, it smelled delicious.

"Trespassing now, Logan?" She asked.

"Trespassing?" Logan asked in feigned shock. "But I have a key, doodlebug."

"I don't even want to know how you ended up with a key to my house. What are you cooking?" Veronica asked peering into the saucepan.

"Fettuccine Alfredo." Logan answered proudly.

Veronica let out a loud laugh. "It figures!"

"You think I can't cook?" Logan asked indignantly.

"Oh the irony! Fettuccine reminds me of a conversation I had with Mac right before I started dating Piz."

"Fettuccine makes you think of Piz?" Logan asked with a scowl.

"I'll cook something else." He said reaching for the burner knob on Veronica's stainless steel stove.

Veronica laughed slapping his hand away from the knob. "No! Fettuccine makes me think of _you_! Mac and I were having one of those food metaphor conversations, where Piz was the Eggplant Parmesan - healthy for me, but ultimately not very memorable. And _you_ were the Fettuccine - Unhealthy as hell, but sinfully delicious."

Logan let out a laugh. He leaned back against the counter.

"Come here." he beckoned.

Veronica hesitated. It had been _three_ days. Was she supposed to just come running?

"Come here." He repeated, tilting his head. Veronica wasn't the only one who could rock a head tilt.

Veronica sighed and stepped in front of Logan.

He reached out a hand and tilted her chin up as he lowered his mouth to hers. Veronica allowed her lips to part and Logan kissed her slowly and thoroughly. He touched his forehead to hers, as he pulled away.

"I've missed you." He said.

"You could have fooled me." Veronica said grouchily. "I haven't heard from you in three days."

"Just giving you time to process." Logan said.

"Well thanks for that...I guess" Veronica said.

_Damn him for "getting" her. If he had come too soon, she might have panicked. Instead, he'd made her miss him._

"You're mad!" Logan teased. "Did you actually miss me, Veronica?"

"You're going to burn your sauce." Veronica grumbled.

After giving it a good whisk, Logan turned back. "You're not wearing your wedding ring." He pouted.

"Sorry." Veronica said guiltily. "I just haven't figured out how I'm going to explain this to everyone. It's right here."

She crossed to the kitchen sink, but the ring holder was empty.

"It's not here!" she said worriedly. "I just put it here this morning!" Veronica looked into the sink. "Maybe it fell down the drain. Do you know anything about plumbing?"

"Relax, Veronica." Logan said. "I have your ring. I saw it there when I showed up."

Veronica sighed in relief and held out her hand palm up. Logan turned her hand over, and reached his right hand into his pocket. After retrieving it, he slowly slid the wedding band onto her finger. Veronica looked up into his eyes, heart fluttering at the intimacy of the gesture. She felt him slide a second ring onto her finger. Looking down she saw that Logan had added an engagement ring. The platinum setting framed the largest emerald-cut diamond Veronica had ever seen flanked by smaller side stones.

She looked back up into Logan's eyes her mouth gaping.

"Is Veronica Mars actually speechless?" Logan joked.

"Oh My God, Logan! That's a ring for a queen, not a humble P.I." she blushed. "You didn't have to buy me an engagement ring. We skipped straight to the wedding."

"I didn't buy it." Logan said. "It's just something I had laying around."

"Right…Because everybody keeps the crown jewels in their sock drawer." Veronica laughed.

"How'd you know it was in my sock drawer?" Logan asked.

"You're not kidding are you?" Veronica asked. "When exactly did you buy this ring?"

"The last time we were together." Logan answered turning away to stir the sauce.

"You were going to propose?" Veronica asked, sincerely shocked.

"Remember when I broke up with you?" Logan asked. Veronica nodded. It still hurt to think of it.

"There were several reasons for that, but mainly, I didn't think you really loved me that much."

Veronica started to protest, but Logan held up a hand, continuing.

"It hurt like a bitch, but I tried to move on. Then one night a couple months later, I opened my door and you were standing there. You just threw yourself into my arms without saying a word - as if you couldn't live without me."

Veronica smiled at the memory. "I couldn't." She admitted.

"For the first time ever, you had finally fought for me. Not that I'd put up any resistance, but it was the thought that counted. I guess I took that as a sign that we really were meant to be. So I bought the ring a few weeks later. I planned that fancy date for us, planning to propose that night. I was scared to death. I knew you weren't ready to get married and that we were too young. I didn't expect to start planning a wedding or anything. I just kind of wanted to put a ring on your finger to show you how much I loved you, and how committed I was to you. I'd meant it as an 'any time, any place, you say the word' kind of thing."

Logan took a deep breath and continued. "So the big night came, and then the Madison thing came out, and …well I guess the rest is history. If you want, I can get you a different ring. Maybe this one is too tainted?" He finally risked looking at Veronica.

"Keep your mitts of my rock." she swatted at his hand, laughing through her tears.

"You like?" Logan asked hopefully.

"God, yes!" Veronica answered, kissing him soundly for a good minute. "I can't believe you held on to it all these years."

"I always meant to come back." He said. "After I'd gotten life together."

Veronica was quiet while Logan drained the pasta. Searching through the cabinets, Logan pulled out plates, wine glasses and silverware.

Finally Veronica spoke. "I'd meant to fight for you again. I thought about you constantly. I knew I wanted to find a way to forgive you so that we could be together, but before I could find the words to let you know where my head was at, you were with Parker."

Logan closed his eyes. Breathed deeply.

"Then when I was on my FBI internship, I thought of you every day. I thought about the way you went up against Sorokin, when there was nothing in it for you except for defending my honor, and I knew I was coming back to you. I broke up with Piz and I did not plan to accept no for an answer from you. I wasn't going to take the chance that you'd find another Parker, so I ran straight to your door when I got home...and…you were gone."

Logan pulled Veronica into his arms and buried his nose in her hair.

"Veronica?" Logan said, sighing. "You might want to be a bit more careful when you use words like ' I'm NEVER getting past this' or 'out of my life forever'. I tend to take them at face value."

"I might also want to learn to quit waiting until it's too late to tell you how I feel." Veronica sighed.

"Well, hopefully there won't be anymore 'too lates'" Logan answered.

"So does this mean we're back together?" Veronica asked in mock confusion.

"Nope." Logan said. "I always marry the girls I just want to have casual sex with."

Veronica chuckled softly.

"What are we doing, Logan?" Veronica asked after a moment of listening to his steady heartbeat.

"Being married, I guess." Logan answered quietly.

"But, _how_ do we do that?" Veronica asked.

"I don't know yet. Let's start with dinner." Logan answered. He kissed her forehead and turned away to turn off the burner on the Alfredo sauce. "Can you go set the table?"


	4. Limos and Sparks

**Veronica's Hangover**

**Chapter 4: Limos and Sparks**

* * *

**Flashback - Saturday evening - Limo**

_Veronica waited in the stretch limo for Logan to join her, after speaking to the driver. The interior was black leather and white lights, the divider and moon roof closed. She reflected on how much had changed since the first time she had ridden in a limo with Logan. He had been Lilly's then, while she had been Duncan's. _

_Logan slid in beside Veronica, and kissed her cheek affectionately. He reached for the bottle of champagne chilling on ice and uncorked it, pouring them each a glass. _

"_Did you really think I was hot the first time you met me?" Veronica asked._

_Logan, instantly understanding the source of the question flashed a grin. _

"_Do you think I would have risked incurring Lilly's wrath over a lie? Plus, you can never go wrong with knee socks, Veronica"_

_For a moment, Veronica was the sixteen-year-old girl who had felt a trickle of excitement upon hearing that her best friend's boyfriend found her hot. _

"_You've never told me what you thought of me the first time we met." Logan pouted. _

"_I'm not blind. Of course, I thought you were hot. I thought you were interesting and quirky, and I liked how opinionated you were." Veronica admitted._

_Logan lowered his eyes with a contented smile before meeting Veronica's eyes again. He reached up, gently touching her face and guided her mouth to his. Lips brushed each other, lingering for a moment, sharing the same air, before hers parted and the kiss deepened. Veronica's hand slid behind his neck, and she altered the slant of her mouth to allow him to kiss her more deeply. She shifted sideways, curling her feet up behind her on the seat as the kiss increased in urgency. Finally, desperate to get even closer to his body, Veronica rose up on her knees. When she maneuvered her knee over Logan's lap to straddle him, Logan lifted his glass of champagne to keep her from tipping it. Unfortunately, Veronica was still holding her champagne in her right hand, and both glasses clinked and spilled down the front of Veronica's blouse and skirt. _

_Veronica shrieked and jumped back, her clothing soaked. "It's freezing!" she cried. _

_Laughing, Logan set down their glasses, and pulled Veronica back onto his lap. He kissed her throat, following the path of champagne with his mouth. Veronica shifted to straddle Logan's lap and arched her back to get closer to him, sliding her hands into his hair. He nosed at the fabric of her blouse baring her right shoulder and brushing kisses across it. Veronica pulled back long enough to slide her blouse over her head dropping it to the floor. _

_Logan halted his kisses to stare at Veronica in her black lace demi bra. _

_Veronica had 100 sensitive spots on her body, and he knew them all He knew which ones required kisses and which ones required touches. Which places to graze, and which to squeeze. _

_Experimentally, his fingertips brushed whisper-soft from her hips to her waist to the side of her rib cage, proving that nothing had changed when her head fell back and her back arched. He couldn't wait to explore the other 99 trigger spots. He pulled her back to him and crushed her mouth with his. When she lifted up somewhat to get even closer, Logan's hands slid under Veronica's skirt following the length of her bare legs, and stopping on the backs of her thighs, squeezing. Veronica moaned into his mouth trying to pull him even closer. Logan pulled from her mouth to begin kissing her neck again._

_"Do you really want to marry me?" Logan asked between kisses. _

_"Yesss!" Veronica exclaimed._

_"Tell me why." He kissed behind her ear. _

_"You know why." Veronica answered._

_"Tell me the real reason." Logan said, working his way down to the junction of her neck and her shoulder. _

_"Logan…" she whimpered. _

_"The real reason." Logan insisted. "Why do you want to commit to spending your life with me?" _

_"Because…I…LOVE you!" Veronica cried. _

_Hearing her words, Logan lifted up and flipped her onto her back in one quick motion, blanketing her body with his. He kissed her with a passion that made his previous passion look tame. _

_"God I love you." He whispered, stopping to stare down into her eyes, the truth evident in his own eyes. _

_Veronica reached up and touched his face. "I love you too. Wow." she laughed. "I've said it twice now, and lightening didn't strike. The ground didn't open up and swallow me whole. What was I so afraid of all those years?"_

_Logan laughed. "I could have told you that years ago." he said._

_He leaned on his elbow, softly kissing her cheeks, forehead, and then lips._

_The limo came to a stop and Logan lifted up to look out the window. _

_"Our wedding chapel awaits. Are you ready?"_

_Veronica nodded smiling shyly._

_"Then you might want to put your shirt back on."_

* * *

**Present time – Veronica's Bedroom – Neptune, CA**

Veronica collapsed on Logan's chest, exhausted. He smelled like the ocean to her – or at least very expensive cologne's interpretation of the ocean – clean and fresh. She made a pillow of her arms on Logan's chest, and propped her chin on her crossed arms.

Logan let out a small chuckle. "Are you ok?" he asked her crossing his arms behind his head, looking quite pleased with himself.

"I will be when I can breathe again." Veronica joked. "I have no idea how you do that to me."

"Lots of practice worshiping your body." He grinned, earning him an eye roll and then a grin in return.

"Ah. Schmoopy Logan. How I've missed you." Veronica sighed. "How did we end up in here anyway? Weren't we just eating fettuccine? It was delicious, by the way."

"Thank you. Maybe next time, we should try sitting on opposite sides of the table?" Logan suggested.

"We're doing it again, Logan." Veronica said.

"Afterglowing?" Logan asked.

"No. Jumping into the passion and the sex without talking things out."

"OK. Let's talk. What do you want to talk about?"

"Anything?"

"Anything."

"OK. Name and describe every girl you've slept with since we've been apart."

Logan's mouth dropped open.

"That was a joke." Veronica laughed.

"Don't even joke about that." Logan said running his hand through his hair. "I still have nightmares about that conversation."

"Hey." Veronica said. "Whatever you've done in the past can stay in the past. Let's start fresh right here, right now."

"Deal. Works for me. And you're not going to change the rules and try to dump me later?" Logan asked.

"Have you slept with Madison again?" Veronica asked.

"Hell no." Logan said.

"Then we're good. Fresh start effective now." She said.

Logan wiggled his hips suggestively. "Fresh start?"

"Give me time to recover, you perv."

"But seriously. How are we supposed to do this marriage thing?" Veronica asked.

"I thought we'd take it day by day, but if you have any suggestions, I'm willing to listen."

"OK, so most importantly, living situation." Veronica said.

"I figured I'd just move in here." Logan said.

"Really? Why? It's tiny and you're filthy rich"

"To be honest, I figured you'd be more comfortable in your own home."

"So only my comfort matters?" Veronica asked.

"Pretty much." Logan said. "Listen. I know you've always been uncomfortable with the trappings of wealth and privilege. Would I be happier in a mansion with a staff? You bet! Especially with the walk-in closets - I have a lot of clothes. But I can be happy anywhere, as long as I have you. And central air." he said.

Veronica's heart ached at his admission. He'd always made everything about her wants. To be honest, as often as she'd teased him for being elitist, who wouldn't want to live in a mansion with a pool?

"I think I could…possibly... overcome my disdain for money enough to live in the manner you're accustomed to." Veronica said, arranging her expression to one of great sacrifice.

"Really?" Logan asked.

"Yes, but can we get a mattress like the one we spent our wedding night on? And some of those super comfy sheets?"

"Absolutely. Anything you want. Shall I have the moon delivered?"

Veronica laughed. "Of course. We can hang it over the pool."

"We could go house hunting this weekend. Unless that's too soon for you." Logan said.

Veronica smiled. "Sounds like a plan. I've never lived with anybody before."

"Neither have I." Logan admitted. "Unless you count Duncan, but he never wanted to spend quality time together." Logan pouted. "This blonde temptress kept luring him away."

Veronica punched him on the arm.

"So how about our careers?" She asked. "I love my job. I love being a P.I. I don't ever want to be the type of woman who sits home all day and joins societies."

"I would never ask you to." Logan answered. "Being a PI is what makes you Veronica Mars."

She smiled in appreciation. "Most guys I've dated have had a problem with it."

"The only time I ever had a problem with your job was that time when I was afraid you were going to be physically harmed. Can you make me a promise?"

Veronica eyed him warily.

"Just keep me in the loop when a case might get dangerous. I promise I won't secretly hire bodyguards to tail you, but maybe we can get you some kind of panic switch that can call in the cavalry if you're in danger."

At the sincerity and concern in Logan's eyes, Veronica nodded. "I can do that." She said.

"What about your career? Will you have to fly back and forth between here and L.A.?"

"Actually? No. Sophia and I have been planning to build a Salacia Corp. corporate headquarters office. We have several satellite offices scattered across California, but I'll be able to work almost entirely from Neptune. I mean, I'll have to travel here and there to meet with clients, but not often. Sophia will be scouting possible HQ locations in Neptune tomorrow. Why are you smiling? Were you worried about missing me?"

Veronica looked away. He was so smug.

"Salacia?" She asked. "Neptune's bride?"

"Veronica. Logan's bride." Logan smiled. "Yep. I figured you'd know. You can take the boy out of Neptune, but you can't take the Neptune out of the boy."

Veronica propped her chin on her crossed arms on Logan's chest.

"So no conflicts with our living arrangements or working arrangements? What ever shall we find to fight about?" Logan snarked.

"Other women?"

"There are other women?" Logan asked.

Veronica smiled. "Sweet talker." she teased.

"So the big question is, how am I supposed to explain this to my family and friends?"

"Don't worry. I took care of that." Logan said.

"WHAT?" Veronica demanded, rolling off Logan's chest to his left side. "You told my father that we're married?"

"Relax. I haven't told anybody. I had Sophia arrange a wedding reception for us this Friday. Most of the invites went out yesterday morning." Logan idly stroked Veronica's arm.

"Friday? Like three days from now?"

"Yes, in the Neptune Grand ballroom. Why don't you email Sophia the addresses of any of your newer friends that I don't know first thing in the morning, so she can get the final invites out right away."

"Describe these invites. Do they mention the words 'wedding, marriage, or Logan Echolls'?"

"Relax. They basically said 'Veronica Mars is throwing a party. Dress nice'. The ones going out to my friends have my name on them. We can make the announcement together at the reception."

"Well that was...thoughtful...I guess. A little presumptuous."

"C'mon Veronica. I know you. As much as you would like to, you can't keep us a secret for the entire next year. Even if secrets _are_ pretty hot. Hey, at least this way, we can buy their approval with prime rib and a DJ."

"When they ask me, how can I explain having enough money to book a party at the Neptune Grand?" Veronica asked.

"Try avoiding everybody? Call in sick and stay in bed with your husband all week?" Logan flirted.

Veronica found the idea moderately appealing. Oh, who was she kidding? More than moderately.

"So what else do married people argue about? Bring it on." Logan said.

"Chores? Money?" Veronica asked.

"Housekeeper, and I asked my credit card companies to send cards for you."

"Logan! I don't want to spend your money!" Veronica argued.

"OK." Logan said. "I figured as much."

"OK?" Veronica asked.

"Sure. We'll live off of your paychecks. But I'm warning you, I can get _pretty_ expensive. I'm accustomed to the best - Armani, Prada, Tom Ford, Dolce, Louis Vuitton. That's not even counting the products that keep this face looking pretty."

"Enough already!" Veronica laughed. "Which one of us is the wife again?"

"We can take turns." Logan smirked

"Speaking of…we haven't discussed my name. I don't intend to change it." Veronica said.

"Good." Logan said, reaching over to play with a strand of Veronica's hair. "Veronica Mars just sounds so right. I wouldn't want to burden you with my last name, anyway. I'd get rid of it myself, if I didn't need it."

They lay quietly for a moment.

"I think we've lost our spark, Logan?" Veronica said pretending sadness.

"Excuse me?" Logan said. "I felt plenty of _sparks_, thank you very much."

"We've just had a major life discussion and we can't find anything to argue about. How will I ever hold your interest?" she pouted.

"Quit your yapping so we can start making babies." Logan teased.

"WHAT? Logan, are you freaking crazy?" Veronica yelled! "If you think…"

Logan only laughed and rolled on top of her, shutting her up with his mouth.


	5. Signing on the dotted line

**Veronica's Hangover**

**Chapter 5: Signing on the dotted line**

**A/N** Thanks so much to everyone who has provided feedback.

This chapter is mostly Logan/Sophia-centric.

It doesn't have a lot of LoVe, but I wanted to tell the story of how Logan got to where he is now.

* * *

**Flashback - Saturday Evening – Wedding Chapel:**

_Sophia paced the wedding chapel waiting for Logan and Veronica to arrive. She was not happy. She had to find a way to put a stop to this farce of a wedding. She could not allow Veronica Mars to rip out Logan's heart all over again. She had worked too hard to pull him out of the gutter last time. _

_As if on cue, the chapel doors burst open and the couple entered, laughing, smiling, and kissing. Sophia's heart sunk at the sight of Logan's smile. Many people would say that Logan Echolls was always smiling. Sophia tended to think of it as a perma-smirk. Logan found amusement everywhere in the world, but he rarely found happiness. The smile currently residing on his face was the first truly joyful smile Sophia had ever seen from Logan. It lit up his face, and she wanted to kick the petite blonde, knowing the destruction she would rain down on Logan's psyche in the aftermath of this wedding. _

_"Everything set Soph?" Logan asked. _

_"Yes, I ordered the Platinum plus package - photos, video, the works. I have the clothes, I have the rings, but Logan, I have very serious reservations about this wedding"_

_"If you didn't, you wouldn't be my Sophia." Logan said giving her a kiss on the cheek. _

_"Logan. I've seen you in the aftermath of Veronica." Sophia said. _

_Veronica reached out and touched her arm. "I have serious regrets about the way I hurt Logan."_

_Sophia turned to face the girl. "Veronica, I truly believe you are a nice person. I trust my instincts, and I instantly liked you when you sat down at the poker table. But you are toxic to Logan, and I don't want to see him destroyed the next time you decide to leave him." _

_"I don't plan to leave Logan again." Veronica answered._

_"You are very drunk, Veronica. You shouldn't make promises and commitments when you're this drunk. It never works out." _

"_I'd never have the guts to do this if I wasn't drunk." Veronica said._

"_Shouldn't that tell you something?" Sophia asked. _

_When Veronica didn't respond, Sophia turned to Logan. " And what about you Logan? You're not even that drunk. You know that she's going to be angry about this in the morning."_

_"Probably." Logan admitted._

_"And you think that's ok? You're taking advantage of a drunk girl."_

_"I'm taking advantage of the opportunity that has presented itself." Logan admitted. "I'd rather wake up in the morning with a pissed-off wife to make it up to, than to have her walk out of my life again without doing anything to stop it."_

_"I feel the same way." Veronica said. _

_"At least have her sign a pre-nup. We can download a form right now to fill out." Sophia said._

_"OK." Veronica said. "I don't want Logan's money."_

_"Absolutely not." Logan said. _

_"Logan!" Sophia insisted._

_"Actually, maybe I do want an agreement, but not a pre-nup" he said. He took Veronica's hand and looked down at her._

_"Veronica, remember why we decided to do this?"_

_"Because I love you." she smiled at him._

_Logan laughed. "No, I mean the other reason. Remember? We're metaphorically being locked in a room together to work out our issues instead of running away from them." _

_"Oh that. Yes!" Veronica answered._

_"So in that respect, will you promise me that you won't attempt to get a divorce until we've lived together as husband and wife for at least one year?"_

_"Yes."_

_"The emphasis was on the word 'together', Veronica. I'm not willing to count time spent living apart as part of the year. Is that ok with you?"_

_"Yes. I agree." she said. _

_Sophia interjected: "I'm going to get that in writing."_

_"Soph!" Logan said annoyed._

_"It's OK, Logan," Veronica said. "I'll sign it. Maybe I will need a written reminder of the commitment I'm making, when I'm tempted to give up too easily."_

_Logan nodded, and Sophia waved over an employee of the wedding chapel. Explaining what she needed, the employee nodded and returned a few minutes later with a printed Word document. _

_"Please understand, this document is not legally binding." the chapel employee admonished. "My cousin is a lawyer. For an extra $300, I can call him and have him legalize the document."_

_"That won't be necessary." Logan said. "Veronica will keep her word."_

_"Thank you for your faith, Logan." Veronica said, reaching for the pen and signing her name with a flourish. _

_"Miss Mars? My name is Jane and I'll be your wedding attendant tonight. If you will follow me, I'll show you to the Bride's room." A perky brunette announced. _

_Veronica nodded and kissed Logan on the cheek before following. _

_"Logan." Sophia attempted one last time. "I am so afraid for you. Please don't go through with this. Hasn't history taught you anything?"_

_Logan pulled Sophia into a hug and squeezed. "I know, Sophia. You're afraid. I'm terrified. But history __has__ taught me one thing. I will never love another like I love Veronica Mars. She's it for me. And if I don't go through with this tonight while I have the opportunity, I will regret it for the rest of my life."_

_Sophia nodded, beaten. "Your tux is in there, Logan." she said pointing to the Groom's room. She dropped into a nearby chair feeling a migraine coming on. _

_Damn Logan Echolls and his impulsive streak._

* * *

**Present time: Vacant Commercial Office Campus – Neptune, CA**

Sophia had discovered an ideal location for Salacia Corp. The former corporate campus for an insurance company had been vacant for a year, but showed no signs of damage. The security company was doing an excellent job keeping teenagers and vagrants out.

She had mixed feelings about showing the location to Logan. She knew that he would love it. She knew that he would immediately want to sign on the dotted line. However, once they did this, and once they hired a local workforce, there would be no turning back. When Veronica inevitably broke Logan's heart again, he wouldn't be able to pull up roots to escape this time. On the other hand, Logan was a grown man, and needed to be able to accept the consequences of his decisions.

She texted the location to Logan and waited for him to arrive.

* * *

Sophia had first found Logan five years ago on a barstool. She had been working a second job bartending several nights a week to keep up the mortgage payments after her husband's untimely death. Logan had recently transferred to UCLA, and had taken up a permanent residence on the corner stool at the bar.

She'd instantly seen through his sneer of entitlement to the broken boy within. She might have let it go at that. After all, every bar in America had broken boys lining the barstools, but there was something different about this boy. She'd thought he'd had the saddest eyes she'd ever seen on a boy so young.

She found that he shared a strong resemblance with her late husband, and the more she looked at him, the more she wondered what her own little boy might have looked like, had he lived beyond four years old. Had he not wandered through the unlocked gate in her backyard and into the neighbor's pool. She thought he would have looked a lot like Logan Echolls. There was probably some psychological mumbo-jumbo word for it - transference, maybe? But she developed a fierce instinct to protect Logan.

He came in every night, tired, unshaven, usually with a text book, which he would prop on the bar, reading and writing, while he sipped on vodka and cranberries - one after another. He didn't seem to eat much. In fact, he seemed underweight. She chatted with him here and there most nights, usually about trivialities - sports, weather, movies.

He never made any overt attempt to pick up women. He just focused on his studies while he nursed his drinks. But inevitably, most nights, some girl or another would slip onto the stool next to him. Sometimes, the more perceptive ones would slide back off the stool and look for a guy more willing to give them the attention/flattery/validation they thought they needed. Sadly, most of the girls weren't so perceptive, so night after night, Logan would allow himself to be led away by the hand. If he had been enjoying himself with the ladies, it would not have bothered her so much, but to Sophia's eyes, every time he returned, he'd looked a little more dead inside.

One night, a distraught girl tried to make a scene because Logan hadn't called her. Logan hadn't even defended himself. He'd just looked at the girl blankly. Sophia was forced to chase her away when Logan's lack of reaction had made her even more irate.

That was when Sophia felt she needed to intervene. The bar was mostly dead, so she pulled up a stool across the bar from Logan. She asked him why he kept trying to fill up his soul with meaningless sex, when it obviously wasn't working.

She'd expected a sneer or a smirk, or a sharp retort, but he'd quietly pondered the question for a moment. He then raised his eyes to hers and said "Veronica Mars."

She looked at him in confusion, and asked him to clarify.

"I'm trying to fill the Veronica-sized hole in my soul with meaningless sex, and you're right. It's not working. Running away didn't help. Booze doesn't help. Nothing helps."

Sophia had heard hundreds of love-gone-wrong stories in her days moonlighting as a bartender. She wasn't sure why she wanted or needed to hear another one, but she wanted to help this boy. She asked Logan to tell her about Veronica.

"People think that I'm this tragic figure because my first love was murdered by my father." he said. "Losing Veronica hurt more. Every time I lost her."

Over the next several months, Sophia got to know Logan. She learned about his tragic childhood. Physically abused by one parent and neglected by the other. Taught by his mother how to sit, stand, and enter a room so that all eyes would be on him. Posture and gait and grace - how to create an emotional reaction using his physical gifts.

His father taught him that public image was everything. Anything was acceptable as long as the public image wasn't tarnished. Infidelity didn't count if it wasn't captured on film. Logan was never taught to do the right thing once the cameras were off. Nobody looked at his report cards. Nobody gave him a curfew. Nobody really cared.

Sophia learned about The Fabulous Four. The magical, practically incestuous, pseudo-family he'd tried to create with Veronica and the Kane siblings. It was doomed from the outset. The volatile Lilly Kane could never provide the kind of emotional stability that Logan craved. The icy Duncan was an emotional vampire, feeding off of Logan's strength, but never giving anything in return. And Veronica, the fragile, moral center of the group, was too passive to make any kind of an impact, much like Logan's mother had been. She'd tried to hold them all together while ignoring the fact that her own family was falling apart. Four lonely kids, and not a decent mother among them.

Sophia learned about the death of Lilly, and the profound effect it had on the remaining three. Duncan had become over-medicated and almost catatonic. Logan had become a walking fireball of rage, channeling his anger at Veronica, ostensibly because of her perceived crimes against the Kane family. He'd admitted to Sophia that the real reason he'd gone after Veronica was that picking on her was the only thing that made him feel alive most of the time.

Sophia wondered if Logan had done Veronica a bit of a favor, because while Duncan had become weaker, and Logan had burned hotter, Veronica had become stronger. She was no longer the passive, fragile ingénue that Logan had wanted to protect. Instead, she became a wisecracking spitfire who defended the weak. Had dealing with Logan's rage been the impetus that had turned Veronica into the fighter that she would eventually become? Had Logan, by turning against and terrorizing the one he'd perceived as weak, virtually formed her, like soft clay, into the only girl he could ever love. The one who had ended up breaking him? How was that for a big ball of irony?

She learned that although he had spent most of his life being revered for being the son of a movie star, his good looks, his money, fame, and popularity, nobody had ever told Logan how brilliant he was. Intelligence wasn't valued in the superficial world from which he had come. He had no concept of his potential. Sophia began filling that role. She urged him to have more faith in his mental faculties and to rely less on his looks and his money and his name. Somewhere along the way, the line began blurring and Logan stopped being a customer, and started being her son.

Sophia's day job was as a personal assistant to the infamous and personable CEO, Ben Adams. He also saw the potential in Logan and agreed to mentor him on days when they both had availability in their schedules. Sophia was tireless at finding pockets of time for them to get together.

At the bar, Logan cut down to one or two drinks a night and started ordering real food off the menu. He still left with girls now and then, but had become more selective, actually talking to them and weeding out the vapid, the gold-diggers, and the star-struck. He preferred intelligent women.

He was making improvements, but Sophia was frustrated that he never seemed to date the same girl twice. When Sophia confronted Logan with that fact, she realized he still had a long ways to go.

He had answered her honestly. "I can't. I just can't get attached. It feels like I'm…somehow…cheating on her."

"Logan!" Sophia exclaimed. "She was dating another guy when you left Neptune. You were dating another girl right before then. It's not cheating for you to move on with your life, and you don't owe her anything. It's over. Good riddance."

"I'm going back for her someday." he said quietly and with conviction.

Sophia reached out for him, wrapped her hands around his neck and playfully made a strangling motion.

"What am I going to do with you Logan?" He gave her his patented smirk.

Three years ago, when she had known Logan for almost two years, Logan had disappeared into Ben Adams' office. Eight hours later, he emerged with a smirk, a business plan, and Ben's blessing to steal Sophia away as his assistant. That was the birth of Salacia Corp. Since then, everything Logan touched had turned to gold. He was a brilliant entrepreneur, validating the faith that Sophia had given him.

But now, Sophia was afraid. Would Veronica undo all the improvements Logan had made over the years? Would Sophia be able to pull him off a barstool again, or would she have to pull him off a bridge railing this time.

* * *

Logan's SUV pulled into the parking lot. He got out and looked around.

Two sprawling four-story, blue-tinted glass buildings were situated in a grassy park-like setting. A parking garage sat at the northern end. So far, he thought it was beautiful. Sophia led him inside of the main entrance.

"I know you were looking to build, but when I saw this place, I thought you would love it." Sophia said.

The lobby was open all the way to the fourth story ceiling. A wide staircase doubled back and forth along one wall and an elevator bank was straight ahead. Balconies on each floor looked down upon the lobby. Sophia led him through the sprawling maze of cubicles and offices. She explained that each story had the same floor plan, and that the second building was identical. After looking over the office that was to be his own, Logan was convinced.

"Let's sign." He said to Sophia as he walked her to her car.

"You'd better be 100% positive." Sophia said. "If things don't work out with Veronica, we can't just fire all of our employees and move away."

Logan looked at her scornfully.

"Yeah, yeah. You and Veronica are true love and rainbows forever." Sophia said. "She'll never break your heart ever again."

Logan ignored that dig. "How are the reception plans going?" Logan asked. "Everything's handled? Caterer? DJ? Cake?"

"Everything is fine. I can't believe you gave me less than a week to put this together." Sophia answered.

"Why? You always work miracles, Sophia. Did Charlie R.S.V.P.?" Logan asked.

"Yes, he'll be there." Sophia answered, kindly. Logan allowed a small smile. It was a start. His brother had finally agreed to meet with him for coffee a month earlier. The conversation had been pleasant, but tentative. Charlie hadn't been as easy to get close to as his imposter had been. He reminded Logan a lot of himself. They'd made plans to get together again, but Logan wouldn't in a million years have predicted that their next meeting would be at the celebration of his marriage to Veronica.

"Did Veronica email you any more addresses for our reception?"

"Yes, she sent a few. The invitations are already in the mail." Sophia scowled.

Satisfied, Logan moved on. "Have you found a house yet? Or a condo? Remember, I'm buying." he asked Sophia.

"I haven't looked yet. I only need a modest house with a yard to grow a garden in."

"Maybe Veronica's place would work for you."

"Won't Veronica be needing her place?" Sophia asked.

"No, we're going to start house hunting for something a bit more luxurious. Can you have the Realtor email me a list of residential properties? It needs to be in the 90909 zip and needs to be gated to keep the paparazzi out."

"Noted. Find a mansion for Veronica to take in the divorce." Sophia said.

"Can't you just be happy for us Sophia?" Logan asked in frustration.

Sophia sighed. "I want to be Logan. You know I have always wanted for you to find somebody to love. You deserve it more than anybody I know. I think you _need_ it more than anybody I know."

Sophia touched Logan's arm. "You want to know the kicker? When I was playing poker with 'Annie', I thought she would be the perfect girl for you. Blonde, beautiful, intelligent, with a wicked, self-deprecating sense of humor. I planned to invite her to eat with us the next day. But, that was when she was still 'Annie'. Veronica is a different story. Veronica is the one that hurt you so badly you almost jumped off a bridge. I'm just afraid of seeing you hurt like that again."

"I'm happy Sophia. We're happy. Trust me, I think we're in a really good place."

"Until she leaves you again."

"Soph, Veronica's leaving me was always a reactionary thing. I'd do something stupid. She'd dump me. I don't do stupid things anymore. I've grown up."

"You broke up with her once. That wasn't a reactionary thing."

"No, it wasn't." Logan sighed.

"I felt like I was a disappointment to her, like I could never measure up." He answered quietly. His heart hurt just remembering the pain he'd felt during that time, and the strength it had taken to be able to walk away from her.

"So what if she makes you feel that way again? How are you going to handle it?" Sophia asked watching Logan's eyes for any flicker of doubt. She didn't find any.

"The difference is, that I'm _not_ a disappointment now." Logan answered. "I've built a company from the ground up, and the profits and growth are off the charts. I don't need to get my self-worth from Veronica anymore. I have all the proof I need that I measure up. Look at this place." He swept his hands out indicating the office campus. "We're going to fill these buildings eventually. We're going to single-handedly reduce the unemployment rate in Neptune. And we're going to _keep_ growing and making profits."

Sophia wiped a tear away from her eyes. "I've never been so proud of you, Logan as I am now."

"I'm proud of myself, and I'm proud of you for getting me here."

"Come here you little jackass." She said hugging him tightly.

"Draw up the papers for me to sign and place some newspaper ads. Salacia Corp. has a new home and we're hiring!" Logan said waving his hands and grinning.


	6. Happy

**Veronica's Hangover**

**Chapter 6 - Happy**

* * *

**Flashback - Saturday Evening - Wedding Chapel - Bride's Room**

_Veronica peeled off her champagne-soaked outfit and dried herself off with a towel. A La Perla lingerie bridal set - all white with vintage-style lace - was waiting for her to slip into, including a bustier, bikini, garter belt and silk stockings. Jane offered assistance with the hooks on the back of the bustier. Veronica shivered looking at herself in the mirror. She'd never owned such beautiful undergarments before. She wondered what Logan would think of them? _

_Jane unzipped the garment bag hanging from a hook and Veronica gasped. The wedding gown was stunning. It was classic and understated, gathered and draped with a hint of Grecian styling. It was exactly what she would have picked out for herself. This had to be a sign of good fortune for their marriage. Veronica stepped into the strapless dress and Jane helped with the tiny buttons that ran up her back. _

_Veronica hadn't worn white since the night of Shelly Pomroy's party. Looking in the mirror, she expected feelings of panic to arise in remembrance of her rape, but they never came. Instead, a sense of serenity washed over her. For someone who'd said that they would never marry, Veronica felt no fear, just a sense of 'rightness'._

_Jane poured Veronica a glass of champagne, and Veronica giggled. She'd lost count of how much bubbly she'd drank already. Jane then led Veronica to a chair, and asked Veronica how she would like her hair for the ceremony._

_"Wow." Veronica laughed. "Does everybody get this type of service?"_

_"Not at all." Jane admitted. "Only the very rich and very connected. Is it true that you're about to marry Logan Echolls? I feel like I watched him grow up in the magazines. He was the Suri Cruise of my generation."_

_"The one and only." Veronica admitted. "I watched him grow up in the swimming pools and the beaches. I've known him since he was 12."_

_"That is so romantic." Jane giggled and Veronica excitedly nodded in agreement._

_Jane draped a cape over Veronica's dress and presented her with an album showing bridal hairdos. Although tempted by the elaborate up-do's, Veronica decided to wear her hair loose and wavy. Logan had always liked it that way. _

_She sipped champagne while Jane got to work on her hair and makeup._

* * *

_In the Groom's room, Logan found that his garment bag contained his own Prada shawl-collar tuxedo. How on earth had Sophia gotten it here from LA? She really was a miracle worker. _

_He'd purchased the tuxedo last year and had only worn it once: when he'd accompanied Trina on the red carpet for the Golden Globes when she'd been nominated for her portrayal of a battered wife. Trina had been robbed of the Best Supporting Actress award, but Logan had ended up on all of the 'best-dressed' lists. _

_He usually hated any type of press coverage, but with the fashion writers raving over how hot he'd looked, all he could think of was to wonder whether Veronica had seen the coverage and whether she'd agreed with their assessment. Probably not. She'd never had much of an interest in fashion. _

_It was hilarious to Logan sometimes how he could end up in the magazines and gossip columns based only on who had given him his genetic material. He had never attempted acting or directing. He'd never picked up a microphone or a guitar. Nevertheless, step one foot on a red carpet with his sister, and he was plastered all over the magazines. _

_After spending a few (or frankly, more than a few) minutes fixing his hair in the mirror, he began pacing, waiting for Veronica. He couldn't wait to tease her for finally spending more time getting ready than he had. _

_Out in the lobby, Logan saw Sophia talking with the wedding coordinator. _

_"I'll finish up in here." She told Logan. "Head through that door. The ceremony will take place in the gazebo."_

* * *

**Present Day - Veronica's bedroom**

"Wake up." Logan said.

Veronica ignored him.

"Wake up." He said leaning over her and sprinkling kisses on her face.

"Go 'way." Veronica muttered. She pulled a pillow over her face.

Logan nuzzled his way under the pillow sprinkling more kisses on her face.

"Wake up."

"Sleep now. Sex later." Veronica grumbled. She pulled the pillow back over her face.

"Wake up." Logan said. He nuzzled back under the pillow. More kisses followed.

"Ugh, Logan. I want a divorce." Veronica said grouchily.

"Never." Logan laughed. "Wake up."

Veronica sighed and pulled the pillow off her face. Logan sat back on his heels grinning. He was actually bouncing. Bouncing?

"I liked you better when you hated mornings." Veronica said.

* * *

"You woke me up from a perfectly good dream to take a leisurely drive through the '09?" Veronica asked.

"Yep! I know I said we'd go house hunting this weekend, but there's one house I want to look at right now."

"You always did have the patience of a saint." Veronica smirked.

"It just went on the market yesterday. I want to see it before anybody else does." He reached over and squeezed her hand.

"When you suggested that I take the rest of the week off to stay in bed with my husband, I thought we might get to…you know…stay in bed." Veronica grumbled.

Logan smirked at her.

A minute later, Logan pulled into a wide driveway with a large open gate. As he drove around the bend, the house came into sight.

Veronica's mouth opened.

"Oh My God?" She looked at Logan questioningly.

"Same architect." He grinned.

Putting his SUV in park, they exited the vehicle. Logan waited for Veronica and put his arm around her as they approached the front door.

"Mr. Echolls." They were greeted by the realtor. Logan shook her hand.

"My wife, Veronica." Logan said.

"Debbie King." The realtor introduced herself and shook Veronica's hand.

"So Debbie, I've been here dozens of times, but Veronica hasn't. Do you mind if I take a few minutes to show it to her myself before you give us your spiel?"

"No problem at all. I'll be in the kitchen when you need me." Debbie answered smiling.

Logan took Veronica's hand and led her into the house. Veronica's mouth dropped open in awe.

"You've been here before?" Veronica asked.

"Yeah, this is the Enbom estate." Logan answered.

"You know, when I was younger, I was so proud of my house. Duncan's family was richer. Dick had a bigger house. But I had the _coolest_ house. Obviously, I hated the shrine to my father, and all the faux fur everywhere, but I loved that damn house. So did Mr. Enbom. He came for a party, and fell in love. He asked my dad who his architect was, and then proceeded to build an even better house. I always kinda hated John Enbom for that." He flashed a grin at Veronica.

Veronica looked around in awe, trying to mentally replace the furniture with that from the old Echolls estate. It was close.

"I've always wanted this place. It has all of the best parts of my house, without the worst parts." Logan said.

As Logan led Veronica from room to room, she couldn't help but agree with him. The house was spectacular.

Logan led her into the Master Bedroom.

"I've never been in here before." He said, looking around. "But it's similar to my mom's room."

"Logan, we could fit my dad's entire apartment in this bedroom." The room was immense, with a fireplace and built-in bookcases.

The attached bathroom was all marble, with a giant bathtub and separate shower. A large vanity with a cushioned bench sat between the two sinks.

"Oh, the baths I would take in you." Veronica told the bathtub flirtatiously.

"Look! My walk in closet!" Logan called from a doorway. Veronica followed him into a giant closet with built-in's.

"And...This closet is the size of my bedroom." She said.

She appraised the closet. The built-ins were all of the same rich cherry as the rest of the house.

"A chaise lounge in the middle of a closet? For those days when looking at all of your clothes makes you exhausted?"

She dropped onto the chaise dramatically, placing the back of her hand against her forehead. "Oh however shall I make up my mind about what to wear?" She asked in a Scarlett drawl.

Logan leaned over from above and kissed her. "I can think of other things to do on that chair." He said, waggling his eyebrows.

"Sex in the closet? You're such a romantic." Veronica smirked.

"You can have that wall" he pointed. "And I'll take those two walls." Logan teased, dividing up their closet space - rather unequally.

Veronica gave up counting the shelves and cubbies.

"If I ever own more than 200 pairs of shoes, I might run out of space." She told Logan. "That could be a problem."

"Or we could just enlarge the closet. Wouldn't want you to go through shoe withdrawal. I hear it isn't pretty."

"Logan?"

"Yes Buttercup?"

"You're looking at this closet the same way you look at me."

"Then I must be in love." He grinned. "Come on." He held out her hand.

Outside of the bedroom through two French doors, was a private terrace with a Jacuzzi.

"Mmmm. Want." Veronica said dreamily, before heading back inside.

The common rooms were much like the old Echolls estate. The woodwork and cabinetry was darker throughout, but the layout was mostly the same, and the entire back wall of the house was made of glass.

Outside, the pool area was very similar to the Echolls house as well, flanked by areas for entertaining, a bar, grills, conversation areas, and the obligatory poolhouse.

Logan opened the door to the poolhouse. It had the same layout as the one he'd grown up with.

"You know what I'm thinking?"

"Poker games?" Veronica hazarded a guess, and Logan grinned.

"Good idea." she said rubbing her hands together greedily.

Logan shot her a worried look. "Which nights do you work late again, Pookie?" He asked.

Veronica smirked.

"So?" He asked, as they walked back to the main house.

"So?" Veronica parroted back to him.

"What do you think?"

"Is there a specific arena…?"

"Don't torture me. Do you like the house?"

"Eh...I've seen worse." Veronica said.

Logan's face fell.

"But I haven't seen better." Veronica finished and Logan's grin returned.

"You want to buy this house dontcha?" Veronica asked teasingly.

Logan nodded enthusiastically.

"You don't want to look at any other houses?"

"Not really." Logan said, shaking his head enthusiastically.

"You can afford this?" She asked.

"Yes. _We_ can afford this." Logan answered.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" Veronica smiled shoving at his arm. "Go make a bid!"

Logan's face lit up like a Christmas tree. He grabbed her and kissed her, spinning and twirling until she was half-dizzy.

"You sure?" he asked once they'd stopped. Veronica nodded and Logan wasted no time rushing off to the house to find Debbie the realtor.

Veronica watched him go with her mouth open.

She hadn't seen Logan this giddy and happy since their first romance back during Junior year.

She could get used to this.

* * *

Logan found Veronica sitting by the pool: barefoot, jeans rolled up, feet in the water, leaning back on her hands.

He dropped down beside her and joined her.

"You put in your bid?" She asked.

Logan nodded, smiling. "So now we just wait for a phone call. Debbie was disappointed that she didn't get to use her sales pitch."

"I'm glad to see you so happy again. It's been a long time," Veronica said.

Logan examined her eyes, waiting for the punch line. When none was forthcoming, he leaned over and kissed her deeply. Afterwards, he put his arm around her and pulled her close to his side.

"Could you be happy living here?" Logan asked.

Veronica almost said something mushy, but figured she'd already used up her quota of mush for the month, so she answered with a simple "Yes."

Logan kissed her forehead.

They sat quietly for a while, just living in the moment.

"So the big day is tomorrow, huh?" Veronica said.

"Are you nervous?" Logan asked.

"Terrified." Veronica admitted.

Logan squeezed her reassuringly.

"So am I supposed to wear a wedding dress or something?" Veronica asked.

"That would spoil our surprise, Shnookems." Logan said.

"Hey. Did we get any pictures of our wedding?" Veronica asked, suddenly curious.

"Pictures and video." Logan said. "Sophia has them. She left town for an errand, but will be back by the party. I'll have her bring them."

"I wore my skirt and blouse for the ceremony?" Veronica asked.

"No, you wore a wedding gown. God, you were so beautiful!" Logan's face looked dreamy, and Veronica blushed.

"I could have showed you your dress if you hadn't rushed out of the hotel room like it was on fire. It was in the closet."

"I can't wait to see the pictures. Or maybe not, if I was drunk enough to black out." Veronica added. "So what should I wear to the party?"

"A cocktail dress? I was going to wear a suit."

"A cocktail dress? I don't really have anything that great." she mused.

"We can go shopping." Logan suggested.

"Here? In Neptune? What about our little secret?" Veronica asked.

"_That_ was _not_ a pleasant déjà vu." Logan said, shuddering. "Last time you said that, I ended up stood-up, on a yacht, chugging champagne all by myself."

"Oops. Sorry for the reminder." Veronica said looking contrite.

"It's OK. Even that can't ruin my mood." Logan said leaning over and kissing Veronica again.

* * *

They arrived back at Veronica's place with a handful of shopping bags.

Veronica carefully hung her new dress in her closet, noticing that Logan had already squished some of his things in there.

"Quiet evening in?" Veronica asked.

"I wouldn't say quiet,'" Logan teased. "You can get pretty…"

Veronica's hand covered his mouth, cutting him off.

"Are you trying to imply that I'm not a perfect lady?" She asked him primly.

"I'm trying to imply that you're a beast." Logan grinned down at her. "Why do you think I keep running back to you over and over again?"

Veronica snarled at him.

"Let me take a shower, and then we can watch a movie." She said.

Logan flopped down on Veronica's couch, and flipped on her TV scanning through the channels.

Right when he was starting to get interested in a program on Machu Picchu, he heard the shower turn off. He paused the program in case Veronica wanted to watch. Maybe he could talk her into travelling there someday.

In his mind, he sees them together making that long, arduous, climb to the top of the mystical place. He looks out over the majestic views and then turns to his ladylove. She lovingly lifts her hands to his chest, and then shoves him off the cliff for making her climb such a ridiculously steep terrain. Maybe he should go with Paris instead.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the front door.


	7. Nostalgia

**Veronica's Hangover**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Nostalgia**

* * *

**Flashback - Saturday Night - Wedding Chapel**

_Logan had ten minutes to kill while he waited for the ceremony to begin. An aisle runner ran through the garden with several pews on either side. A gazebo strewn with probably 20,000 white lights waited at the end of the aisle. Elvis had not yet entered the building, so Logan took a seat in the first pew. _

_He breathed, thinking about how far he had come with Veronica. In the beginning, there had been four of them. His girl Lilly, and Duncan's girl Veronica. However, the lines had always been a bit blurry. He'd always known that his feelings for Veronica weren't exactly platonic, but he'd never thought of her as dating material. He liked his girls fiery and passionate, and Veronica was just too docile and agreeable for his taste. That's not to say that he hadn't loved her, because he had. He'd loved Lilly and he'd loved Veronica. Lilly had been passion and pain and excitement. Veronica had been purity and innocence and compassion. He'd wanted to fuck Lilly. He'd wanted to protect Veronica. He'd wanted to be Duncan. _

_They had created a sort of perfect world together - pools, beaches, boats - always situated around the water. They had been his perfect escape from his abusive home life. They were his new family. They were his refuge. The four of them had balanced each other out, each of them bringing a quality to the table that the other three needed. _

_He'd thought that they'd had no secrets from each other - other than his abuse - until Duncan broke up with Veronica for unknown reasons, and Lilly had been found dead. He should have been there for Veronica then, as he'd been there for Duncan. He knows that now. However, at the time, he'd needed for somebody to suffer, and she was the perfect scapegoat. The year that followed was a complete blur for Logan. The only thing he could remember clearly was his confrontations with Veronica. If the rest of his life was 'soft-focus', Veronica was the 'contrast' knob cranked all the way up. _

_One day, Veronica arrived at school with a short, flippy hairdo, butch boots, and a bad attitude. The day she began fighting back, was the day that Logan knew he'd been wrong about her the entire time. Veronica wasn't docile and fragile, she had all the fire and passion that Lilly had once exhibited. _

_He remembered that he'd once loved her and realized that he still did. The difference now was that he could imagine kissing her and putting his hands on her, and he imagined it all the time. Suddenly, Veronica Mars was always on his mind. It was bittersweet. He loved her, but after the way he'd treated her since Lilly's death, he could never have her. Instead, he stepped up his game, baiting and antagonizing her every chance he could get, only to see the fire spark to life in her eyes. A fire that only he ever seemed to bring out._

_He wasn't exactly sure how the thawing had occurred. A secret smile at the Lilly Kane memorial ceremony, a ride back from Tijuana, a smirk here, a joke there. Looks like an evildoer. Smells like an evildoer, but surprisingly, not so much. By the time Logan's mother had jumped, he'd trusted Veronica enough to be able to turn to her. She had every right to turn him away, but surprisingly she hadn't. His protective instinct returned, but his attraction remained. When they'd kissed for the first time, he'd known that his life could never be the same. He'd kissed dozens of girls, in his life, but he'd never felt a connection like he'd felt with Veronica. He hadn't been able to hold on to Veronica that first time. His secrets and his recklessness were too much for her to take. _

_His senior year had been torturous. He'd drowned in feelings of betrayal and desperation. Veronica left him when he'd needed her the most, and she'd taken his best friend with her. It had almost killed him to see them together. He had wanted her back. He had wanted Duncan back. He had wanted to hate them both, but it was impossible. He had wanted to love them both. That was easy._

_Even after Duncan had run off and Veronica had returned to him, Duncan had always been a sore spot between them. He'd wondered if he would ever be Veronica's first choice if Duncan were an option. But Duncan wasn't standing here tonight in a wedding chapel in Vegas, about to marry Veronica Mars, he was. _

_Sophia appeared, accompanied by Elvis and Logan joined them in the "Gazebo of Light" - or whatever they were calling it._

_"I can't believe I'm marrying Logan Echolls." Elvis said. "I had a lot of respect…"_

_Logan cut him off. "For my sociopathic Oscar winning father?"_

_"No, I was going to say for your mother. I worked with her in the theater back in New York. Before she married your father. She was a real class act. And the singing voice on her...I was really sorry to hear what happened to her." _

_"Thank you." Logan said sincerely. "I wish she were here tonight. She would have been so happy to see me end up with Veronica. She always liked Veronica best. I have to hand it to you. You're the most realistic Elvis I've ever seen. You could seriously be a doppelganger."_

_"Thank you very much." Elvis responded with a self-deprecating eye roll._

_"It's time!" Jane called. She turned down the outdoor floodlights and turned on the lighted aisle runner. It looked almost like a fairy path. A photographer and two videographers moved into position at either end of the aisle._

_Double doors opened, and Logan turned to see Veronica standing in the doorway. She was so beautiful that he couldn't breathe for a moment. _

_Suddenly, he knew that this was the moment he had been waiting for his entire life. So what if it was a cheesy Vegas wedding chapel instead of the Tate mansion he'd always imagined getting married in. So what if the bride was a little wobbly on her feet from too much tequila and champagne. _

_He was Logan and she was Veronica and that was all that mattered._

* * *

**Present time - Veronica's house**

Logan answered the front door.

"Duncan?"

"Logan?" Duncan asked curiously, looking him up and down.

"Is Veronica here?" Duncan's eyes were all over the place. Joyful to see his best friend after all of these years. Wary that his best friend would not be happy to see him, and extremely worried about what it meant to find him answering Veronica's door.

"She just got out of the shower. Have a seat." Logan said, waving a hand towards the couch.

He disappeared down the hall and into Veronica's room.

"What the hell?" Duncan thought. Would Veronica allow Logan into her bedroom? Was something going on between them?

A second later, he heard Veronica yell. "Logan! What are you…Oh My God Logan!"

A second later, Logan jogged out of the bedroom laughing and wiping his mouth.

"Logan! Get your ass back here!" Veronica yelled. Logan ignored her, heading into the kitchen.

"Immediately! You can't just start something like that and leave me hanging." Veronica yelled.

Logan laughed.

"Logan! Right now!" Her demand grew louder.

"Can't Pumpkin." Logan called back to her. "That would be rude to our guest."

"GUEST? Somebody is here? You. Are. Such. An. Ass!" Veronica yelled.

"You should be sure to punish me for that later, Sweetpea!" Logan called back.

He reached into the fridge grabbing two beers. Walking into the living room, he handed one to Duncan, dropping down onto the couch next to him, and putting his feet on the coffee table.

"So what are you doing here, Duncan?" Logan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm Veronica's date. For a charity benefit." Duncan answered hesitantly, a hundred questions flashing through his mind.

"Oh." Logan said with a nod.

"What are you doing here Logan?" Duncan asked.

"I'm Veronica's husband. For…_ever_." Logan didn't try to hide his smug look.

Duncan's mouth dropped open wide. He rose from the couch, and then, at a loss for what to do, he dropped back down in a daze.

Veronica emerged from her bedroom wearing a snug t-shirt and yoga pants, her wet hair brushed back into a ponytail.

"Wifey-poo?" Logan called, forehead wrinkling. "Now that we're married, would you mind not making dates with other guys?"

Veronica shot him a glare. "I am so sorry Duncan." Veronica said contritely. "In the drama of...well...the usual drama that comes with Logan, I forgot all about the benefit."

"Forget about the benefit, Veronica." Duncan said. "What about us? You married somebody else while you were dating me?"

"Dating?" Veronica asked. "I think you've made a mistake. Logan, can you give us a second."

"Like hell, I'm leaving!" He said. Did she really expect him to walk away from this conversation?

* * *

Veronica's eyes narrowed, commanding him to leave. Logan sighed dramatically, stood up, and stomped off to Veronica's office, slamming the door. The joke was on her, though. Just yesterday, he'd been playing around with Veronica's collection of spy gadgets, and he knew exactly which one amplified sound.

After fitting the device to his ear, he pressed up against the wall and silently cracked open the door to listen.

Veronica's voice: "...misunderstanding ."

Duncan's voice: "What misunderstanding, Veronica? We've gone out to dinner for the past three Friday nights."

Veronica: "I go out to dinner with Wallace and Weevil all the time, and I'm not dating them."

Duncan: "I thought it was obvious. I told you I would always love you when I left town. I thought we were making our way back to each other."

Veronica: "I am so sorry that you were under that impression, Duncan."

Duncan: "And what about Logan? You told me you hadn't seen him in five years, and yet suddenly you're married to him?"

Veronica: "I ran into him in Vegas. Then I married him. It happens. It was sudden."

Duncan: "A Vegas marriage? It won't even last a year!"

"OK, what you say here matters, Veronica." Logan thought. "Please don't let me down."

Veronica: "I said it was sudden. I _didn't_ say that it was a mistake. I have no doubt in my mind that it will last a year, Duncan. In fact, I'd be willing to place a wager on it."

Logan smiled. Good girl.

Duncan: "You want to bet on your marriage? What exactly do you want to bet?"

Veronica: "Logan's the gambler. I'll let him handle the details. But let's make it an obscene amount."

Duncan: "Do you even love Logan?"

Veronica: "Yes."

Duncan: "Since when?"

Veronica: "Since ...always?"

Duncan: "Always?"

"Always?" Logan thought.

Veronica: "I don't remember a specific point in time when my feelings shifted into love. When I finally admitted to myself that I was in love with him, I knew that I had been for a long, long time."

Duncan: "Are we talking since you first met him?"

Veronica: "No. I don't think that far back. There was this one moment where I do remember my feelings changing. Right after Lynn killed herself, Logan showed up on my doorstep hugging himself - all broken and vulnerable. I just knew in that moment that there was nothing I wouldn't do to ease his suffering. Seeing him in that much pain was breaking my heart. I just wanted to make everything better for him. The feeling surprised the hell out me. He had just spent the previous year making my life miserable. But it was strangely...unsurprising too. As if the feelings had been there all along, lying dormant. Was that love? I have no idea. It certainly was not the appropriate feeling based on my history with Logan.

Logan pressed his hand to the wall as if he could reach across space and touch her face. He never had understood why she'd taken his case when he'd been so awful to her.

Duncan: "Were you in love with Logan when we dated?"

Veronica: "Duncan, I never cheated on you."

Duncan: "That wasn't what I asked. Were you in love with Logan?"

The room was silent. Logan wondered if Veronica had answered nonverbally.

Veronica: "Yes."

Logan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Senior year had been torture for him, thinking that she didn't care if he lived or died.

Duncan: (audibly sighing) "Why would you date me if you loved him?"

Veronica: "I was afraid of loving him. It was too intense. Too dangerous.

Duncan: "So you used me?"

Veronica: "It wasn't like that Duncan. I'm not the kind of person to follow my heart. I'm logical. And logic was telling me that Logan was going to get himself or both of us killed in his war against the PCHers. Logic told me that you would be a perfect boyfriend, and you would give me the normalcy that I had been craving for that past year.

Logan bit his lip in regret. He would have done anything to be able to take back that summer, especially the break-up. He knew he could have changed her mind. He could have promised that he would change, if only he hadn't lost his temper in that moment and gotten himself thrown out.

Duncan: "And what's changed? He's suddenly _stopped_ being reckless and impulsive? What is your logic telling you now?"

Veronica: "My logic tells me that when you desperately miss somebody every day for five years and wish you could be with them, it's time to start following your heart."

Duncan: "I moved him into my suite! He was banging Kendall, and you were sleeping with me. And you were in love with him the whole time? You were just pretending that you didn't care about Kendall?"

Veronica: "Thanks for drudging up those pleasant memories, Duncan. And I don't remember ever pretending that well. I thought it was obvious that I wanted to claw her eyes out."

Logan smirked. At least he wasn't the only who'd been tortured.

Duncan: "You never even argued against my decision to take Lilly and run. I thought at the time you were _too_ ok with it. Were you planning to run right back to Logan as soon as I was gone?"

Veronica: "I didn't think he even wanted me anymore. He'd moved on. But yes, I was hoping for an eventual reunion."

Duncan: "So all these years I've been away, pining for you, you were pining for Logan?"

Veronica: (quietly) "Yes."

Veronica: (apologetically) "Duncan, you and I weren't meant to be. We were pleasant. We made sense on paper, but we were passionless together. We could have lasted for a long, long, time, but we would never have been truly happy. I'm sorry."

Duncan: "And Logan makes you happy?"

Veronica: "Yes."

Logan considered himself and Veronica. There had been moments of misery, but there had also been periods of intense happiness. In fact, the happiest moments of his life had been with Veronica. Today had been one of them.

Again, there was a long silence. Logan wished that he could see what was going on.

Duncan: (Sighing,) "I guess as long as you never cheated on me I can't really be angry. You never promised to wait for me."

Veronica: "So we're OK?"

Duncan: "It hurts, but if I blamed you for loving somebody else while you were dating me, I'd be a hypocrite. I did the same thing to Meg."

Veronica: "Thank you for understanding. I am so sorry for any pain I may have caused you."

Duncan: "You know, I pined away for Logan too."

Logan raised his eyebrow.

Duncan: (Laughing "No not like that. Get your mind out of the gutter."

Veronica: "Hey, you said it. Nobody's judging. He's awfully pretty."

Duncan: "What I meant was, I've been around the world, and I've met a lot of people. I've learned that friends like Logan don't come around too often. He is the best friend I ever had - other than his girlfriend stealing habit. He literally kept me on my feet that year after Lilly died. I've really missed him."

Veronica: "I would advise you to tell him that, but he's eavesdropping."

Duncan: "What makes you say that?"

Veronica: "He headed into my office instead of the bedroom. He was just playing with my listening device yesterday. You might as well come on out, Logan."

* * *

Logan gave it a moment. Carefully, he returned the amplifier in its case. He headed out of the room, yawning.

"Is it safe to come out yet?" He asked, playing innocent.

"Like you don't know." Veronica smirked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Logan asked. Veronica rolled her eyes.

"I'm glad you're back." Duncan said, rising and pulling Logan into a bear hug. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too, DK!" Logan said sincerely, hugging him back.

"Congratulations on your marriage." Duncan said, with as much sincerity as he could muster.

"Thank you." Logan said, no gloating now.

He dropped to the couch on the other side of Veronica, putting his arm around her affectionately.

"How long you staying in town?" Duncan asked, sitting.

Looking over at Veronica snuggled up at Logan's side, he suddenly understood how Logan had felt all of those years ago when he'd moved in to the suite. If Logan could handle it graciously - or a Loganified version of graciousness - Duncan would have to as well.

"I'm not going anywhere. I have a wife, and I just signed for on some commercial real estate. We're going to be doing a lot of hiring." Logan answered. "How are you walking around a free man?"

"Long story. Lots of legal mumbo-jumbo. Let's just say the Mannings will never be bothering us again." Duncan answered.

"So you need to borrow my wife for your charity thing?" Logan asked.

"Nah, I've already written a check. I was only going to attend the event as an excuse to see Veronica. My presence isn't necessary."

"Borrow, Logan?" Veronica responded. "I can be _borrowed? _Like a cup of sugar?"

"No Honeybun. Your sugar is all mine." Logan smirked, giving her a peck on the lips. Veronica's answering smile promised him lots of sugar later.

"So hey...you want to hang out like old times?" Logan asked Duncan.

Duncan looked a question at Veronica.

"Not a problem for me." She said. "We were just planning a quiet evening in. I'll order a pizza. Unless Logan feels like cooking for us."

"Did you just mention Logan and cooking in the same sentence?" Duncan laughed.

"You would be amazed at my culinary skills, but let's save that for after we move. The kitchen here is a little small."

"Moving?" Duncan inquired.

"Yes! I'll finally get to sit at the 09er table!" Veronica answered with mock excitement. "Logan put in a bid for the Enbom estate."

"Wow!" Duncan answered. "Great house! I didn't know it was on the market."

"Just went up for sale yesterday." Logan said. "We went to look first thing this morning."

"So wait..." Duncan said after a moment. "The party invitation I just received from Veronica? Was that about this?" He gestured to Logan and Veronica.

"Our wedding reception." Logan replied. "But do us a favor and don't tell anybody about me and Veronica. We're going to announce it at the reception. Nobody even knows I'm back in town."

Duncan nodded. "My lips are sealed."

For hours, they ate drank beer, ate pizza, laughed, and reminisced. They were finally able to discuss Lilly fondly without dredging up a lot of pain.

Duncan laughed while describing some of the pranks Logan pulled in high school, while Veronica narrowed her eyes.

"Logan?"

"Yes darling?"

"You've never mentioned to me that you had web development skills."

"Really? Must have slipped my mind, love."

"In high school, somebody with web development skills set up a certain website, devoted entirely to me. I ruled you out because you didn't have the skills."

Logan gasped dramatically. "Point me at 'em. I'll kick his ass."

"Uh huh." Veronica said, but kissed him on the cheek.

Logan promised to set up a recurring poker game after they moved, and Veronica promised to take all of their money.

"Speaking of gambling?" Logan said as he walked Duncan to the door. "One million."

"One million?" Duncan asked uncomprehendingly.

"One million dollars says that Veronica and I stay married for a year. Payable to Veronica when we win, since it was her wager."

"That should give her an incentive to be nice to me." He said looking pointedly at Veronica.

Logan held out his hand. Duncan hesitated for a second before taking it and shaking, accepting the bet.

"I actually hope I don't win this bet." Duncan said. "It's good to have you home, Logan."

"Great to be back where I belong." Logan answered.

"I knew you were eavesdropping, you ass!" Veronica said after Logan had closed the door behind Duncan.

"Maybe." Logan smirked. "I believe you had some punishment in store for me, anyway."

Logan became serious and pulled Veronica into his arms.

"You cannot even comprehend the gift you gave me tonight." He said quietly, breathing in the scent of her hair.

"Something I said while you were eavesdropping?" Veronica asked.

"All I've ever wanted was to know that given a choice, you would pick me."

He kissed her gently on the lips, and then dipped his head to catch her eyes. "I love you." He said quietly and sincerely.

"Don't think that's getting you out of your punishment." Veronica said laughing. "I've been thinking all night of ways to make you suffer for what you did earlier."

"I've been counting on it, sweetheart." He said with a wicked gleam in his eyes.

He gently nipped her lower lip and then walked off towards her bedroom, dropping articles of clothing on the way.

* * *

**A/N** - Next up is the big party. I think I'm going to have to split it into two - maybe even three parts. Might take a bit, because only the first part is partially written.


	8. NotSoWarm Reception Part One

**Veronica's Hangover**

**A/N **Sorry. No reaction-shots yet. Part 2. I promise.

**A/N2** Mama-Bear Sophia's opinions don't necessarily reflect the opinions of the author.

**Chapter 8: Not So Warm Reception – Part 1**

* * *

**Present time - Neptune Grand Ballroom:**

"Name?" Sophia asked looking up from her clipboard. She sat at a small table outside of the Neptune Grand ballroom.

The man was short and bald with a mustache. He was wearing a gray two-button suit with a diagonally striped tie in shades of blue and brown.

Once she saw the tattoos on his neck, Sophia knew that this had to be the infamous Weevil. She knew a bit about Weevil. Grandson of Logan's long-time housekeeper, the "other man" in Logan's relationship with Lilly, and Veronica's guard dog.

She knew that at one point, Logan had almost liked and grudgingly respected Weevil. He had at least enjoyed verbally sparring with him. That had all changed that night on the Coronado Bridge when Weevil had thought seven-against-one were fair odds. Logan had ended up with broken ribs and a murder rap. In addition, Logan's home had been burned to the ground, and he'd survived a round of Russian roulette. All punishment for a crime Logan hadn't committed. Surprisingly, Logan didn't seem to harbor any type of resentment against Weevil.

"Eli Navarro" the man answered, confirming Sophia's guess.

Sophia located the name on the clipboard. "You're at the head table. Seat number 10. Look for the numbered place card."

* * *

Weevil was one of the first to arrive at the party. He whistled as he took in the sight of the ballroom. The silverware alone in this room could pay his rent for the next six months.

He inhaled the mouth-watering aromas wafting through the ballroom. The predominant odor smelled like steak. A really good steak. Well, no matter what else happened tonight, at least he would be fed well. Seeing nobody he recognized, he wandered over to an appetizer table on the back wall. Half of the food on the table he didn't even recognize as food, so to be safe, he loaded up his tiny plate with cheeses and fancy breads, and some kind of chicken concoction.

He located the head table on a raised platform, and seat number 10 was third from the end on the left side of the table.

The crunchy little breads were delicious. What did the rich people call these again? Bruschetta maybe? What was wrong with the word bread, anyway?

Weevil wondered what V was up to with this party. The set-up in the ballroom looked a lot like a wedding reception. Had Veronica gone and gotten married? Duncan had only been back in town for a couple months, and they had only started dating again a few weeks ago. Weevil shook his head. He really hoped that wasn't the case. Duncan wasn't a bad guy. He'd never been as stuck-up as you would expect from somebody with his wealth, and he was certainly better than that other rich white asshole Veronica had dated. Nevertheless, Weevil hadn't liked the person Veronica became when she'd dated Duncan in high school. She'd lost her edge, became more girly, became less fun. When Duncan had left town, Weevil could see the weight being lifted off Veronica's shoulders, as she slowly became herself again.

He might have to make a second trip for more bruschetta. That stuff was delicious.

* * *

"Hello. I'm Cynthia MacKenzie."

Sophia looked up curiously. She'd spoken to Mac many times on the phone, as she was Logan's partner in his side business - "GradeMy[RandomBodyPart].net." She liked Mac - though she'd never met her in person - but Sophia didn't introduce herself, as to do so would ruin Logan's little surprise.

Sophia knew that Mac had been a good friend to Logan and she was one of the few people from his past that he'd kept in contact with. Now and then when Mac made it out to L.A., she would get together for dinner with Logan. Sophia had always been invited along, but she'd never had the opportunity to attend due to her schedule.

She examined Mac now. She was a very pretty girl with dark hair and bright, lively eyes. Mac was wearing a sparkly, navy evening gown with spaghetti straps that crisscrossed in the back. Her hair was in an up-do with soft tendrils around her face.

"You're at the head table in seat number 11."

Mac smiled and began to walk away. Sophia stopped her.

"Cynthia? Find me later in the evening. I'd like to talk to you about a job."

"What kind of job?" Mac asked curiously.

"How does Director of Information Technology sound?" Sophia answered.

Mac gaped at her in surprise. "For what company?" She asked, her interest definitely piqued.

"Find me later." Sophia gave her a Mona Lisa smile.

* * *

"Who was that woman and where do I know her voice from?" Mac asked herself as she stepped into the ballroom. Director of IT? How could that be possible? She was a good 20 years younger than the standard IT Director. They usually came up through the ranks. Maybe it was a company formed more recently that didn't have ranks? She would definitely be seeking out the enigmatic lady later.

She took a moment to take in her surroundings. The Neptune Grand ballroom was one elegant room. It was dominated by a gleaming hardwood dance floor in its center, below an immense crystal chandelier. Arranged around the dance floor were round tables, each appointed elegantly in white with black accents, candles, and greenery. Surrounding each table were slipcovered chairs. Everywhere she looked, candles flickered, creating a romantic ambience.

The head table on the dais was covered in a floor-length white tablecloth with a second black tablecloth draped and gathered at intervals with tasteful black bows. Each place setting held a bronze charger plate, silverware, and a folded napkin in a goblet. Lit candles lined the outside edge of the table.

Weevil was already sitting at the table, and Mac located her seat to Weevil's left.

"Hey Mac!" he said, offering her a complicated handshake. "How's it hanging?"

"Great." Mac answered absently, still going over the matter in her head. "Who was that lady out at the table?" she asked.

"Never seen her before in my life." Weevil answered.

"Well she just told me that she may have a job offer for me. A really really good job offer. What is this party about?"

"Beats me." Weevil said shrugging. "But you never know what Veronica is going to pull next."

* * *

"Hey, you have Dick Casablancas on that list?" A voice asked.

Sophia looked up smiling at the shaggy-haired surfer dude over-dressed in a tuxedo. So this was Dick Casablancas. One of the two contenders for the 'Logan's Best Friend' title. From what she'd heard of Dick, he had limited intelligence and zero moral compass, but had more than made up for that on the loyalty front. He'd been there for Logan through thick and thin, and visited him all the time in LA where they went surfing whenever they had the chance.

"Nice to meet you Dick, I'm Sophia." She said holding out her hand.

"Oh hey!" Dick said taking her hand. "You're the chick that makes all of Logan's phone calls! I always wondered why it's so hard for him to pick up the phone to call me himself. Maybe I should hire a person to take my calls and then Logan could have you call my person who would then give me the message, and then I'd give my message back to my person who would call you, and you could tell Logan." He stopped, making mental calculations in his head. He seemed to have confused himself, so he only shrugged.

"You're at the head table, in seat number 2." Sophia said smiling.

"Hey. You're pretty hot for your age." Dick said. "We should have a drink later. Logan totally owes me. He hooked up with my stepmom, you know."

Sophia bit the inside of her cheek to prevent herself from laughing and pointed to the open doorway.

* * *

"Dude." Dick thought, looking around the ballroom. "Why is Logan throwing such a fancy party? A kegger would be a lot more fun."

However, the invitation had said semi-formal, so Dick had dressed up. On the plus side, there were always lonely hot chicks at these fancy parties looking to hook up. In fact, since he'd entered the room, four hot chicks had already caught his eye.

He hadn't spoken to Logan in a couple of weeks, so he had no idea what this party was about, and why he was throwing it in Neptune. Did this mean he was back for good, or was it just a one-time occasion? Dick had been after Logan to come home ever since he'd left, but Logan was always saying he wasn't ready.

Dick thought that was probably code for "Veronica Mars hasn't returned my testicles yet." She sure had castrated his BFF. Even all of these years later, Logan still wasn't the same as he'd been in high school.

Dick had seen Veronica out with Duncan a couple of weeks ago at Chez Francois, so that was good. At least he wouldn't have to worry about Logan jumping back on that merry-go-round. Duncan was better with Veronica anyway. He'd never had much balls to begin with.

Ooohhh. Hot blonde with a big rack at eleven o'clock.

* * *

"Your name?" Sophia asked the young black gentleman with big hair.

"Wallace Fennell." The boy answered.

Veronica's long-time best friend had a nice grin. He looked around as if he was enjoying himself, and he hadn't even made it into the ballroom yet.

From what Logan had told her, he'd never had much of a relationship with Wallace. Like a little kid who wouldn't let his mashed potatoes touch his meatloaf, Veronica had compartmentalized her relationships, keeping Logan separate from her friends and family. Logan had admitted to Sophia that he didn't think Wallace would be too happy when he learned that he had married Veronica.

"You're at the head table, seat number 9. Look for the numbered place card."

* * *

At first glance, Wallace did not recognize any of the guests in the ballroom. He liked the jam that was playing though. It was just loud enough so that you could recognize the song, but quiet enough that you could hold a conversation. Oh wait, up at the DJ booth…Wallace squinted his eyes to make sure, and then gave a little wave to the DJ. He remembered Vincent "Butters" Clemmons from high school. It had to be hard being the principal's son. At least tonight, he wasn't dressed like Pimp Zorro. That was an improvement.

Around 75% of the tables in the ballroom were occupied. To Wallace's estimation, it seemed as if there were about ten times too many tables here for a party hosted by Veronica Mars. She only had a handful of close friends.

Wallace wondered what diabolical plan Veronica was hatching for tonight. It must be one of her clients footing the bill, so one of the guests at this party tonight had to be a 'mark'. The set-up was a bit elaborate for denouncing an evildoer, but what did he know? Would she be uncovering a secret affair? Would she produce a special guest, who the very sight-of would force a confession from the mark? Would she catch the mark dancing the Macarena when he was supposed to be in a wheelchair? Life had never been boring as the best friend of Veronica Mars.

Locating his seat up on the dais, he was happy to see that Weevil and Mac had already arrived, and were sitting to his left.

"So what do you think V is up to this time?" Weevil asked Wallace.

"I honestly don't know. It's probably for a case." Wallace said. "I'm guessing at some point tonight Veronica will point to somebody at one of those tables and give us one of her 'the butler did it' speeches."

"It looks like a wedding to me." Weevil said.

"You think Veronica and Duncan eloped or something?" Wallace asked.

Weevil shrugged. "She always did like the rich boys."

"Duncan?" Mac interjected. "No. Veronica and Duncan are not going to sneak off and get married. They're both planners. If they were going to get married -which I cannot see happening - we would receive our engraved invitations a good year before the ceremony. Now if it were…" She trailed off, an idea taking root in her head.

Wallace looked over his companions. Weevil was wearing an honest to goodness gray suit, unbuttoned with a white shirt and a diagonally striped tie. If it weren't for the tattoos on his neck, he could pass for a gentleman.

Mac was wearing a sparkly blue dress with skinny straps. Wallace smiled. If Mac wasn't careful, she might just attract some male attention tonight. She could use it. She hadn't dated much since her break-up with Max the previous year.

As for himself, Wallace was dressed in a natty black suit with a black tie. He was looking damn fine, if he could say so himself, and he had just noticed a stunning brunette checking him out.

"I'm heading to the bar. Anybody want to join me?" Wallace asked. Both Weevil and Mac rose to follow him.

* * *

"Hello."

The balding gentleman who spoke to Sophia wore a brown suit with a striped tie. He had a kind, smiling face that gave Sophia the impression that he would be a good listener.

She returned his smile. "Your name, please?"

"Keith Mars." He answered with a warm smile.

Sophia's eyes narrowed. So this was the infamous Keith Mars.

From what she'd heard from Logan, Keith had a very close relationship with Veronica, but had never thought that Logan was good enough for his little girl.

He was known for his fairness, but Sophia wasn't sure if he'd ever given Logan a fair shake. If he had, he would have seen Logan's huge heart and potential for greatness. How could anybody miss it?

Keith Mars would undoubtedly try his hardest to convince Veronica to divorce Logan. If that happened, Logan's heart would be crushed. She'd have to keep an eye on this one. She didn't need anybody tearing Logan back down now that he'd come so far.

"Head table on the dais. Seat number 8." She said icily.

* * *

Keith wondered why his very name had turned the beautiful dark-haired lady into an icicle. Wasn't his own daughter the host of this party? It didn't make any sense.

Stepping through the open doors of the ballroom, he halted. This made even less sense. This wasn't a small party of the likes that Veronica could afford. This was an elaborate affair, of the type that the Kanes would throw. Keith knew exactly how much money Veronica made, and this party was equivalent to at least three months of her pay. There was something going on here.

He couldn't think of any cases Veronica was working on that would necessitate a ruse like this.

Speaking of the Kanes, he stopped to offer a polite hello.

"Do you have any idea what this party is about?" Celeste asked.

Keith shook his head. "I honestly have no idea what she's up to. I thought it might have something to do with Duncan being home." He shrugged and excused himself.

As he walked away, Celeste said to Jake. "She? I thought Logan Echolls was hosting this event. I RSVP'd to show Duncan that we can support his friends."

Jake only shrugged. He was here for the free booze.

Sophia watched the young man approach. She already had a good idea who he was.

"Hello. I'm Charlie Stone." He said politely.

Sophia's suspicions were confirmed. He was tall like Logan, with a similar posture and gait. There was something about his face that reminded her of Logan, but she couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was. He didn't seem to have Logan's innate confidence though. He seemed slightly awkward in an endearing sort of way.

"You're at the head table. Seat number 3. I am very very happy that you were able to attend tonight, and I know that Logan will be as well."

"This isn't a publicity thing, is it?" Charlie asked, worriedly.

"I can assure you that this is not. There is a photographer, but he's not affiliated with any publication. He's only here to capture the party for Logan's personal memories. Logan hasn't arrived yet, but I hope you'll have an opportunity to talk with him later."

Charlie offered her a tiny smile that reminded her so much of Logan that her heart hurt for a second.

* * *

Charlie stepped nervously into the ballroom. He didn't know a single person here, and didn't expect to. To his surprise, he didn't see any Hollywood types. The guests seemed mostly to consist of the old-money types. He thought he recognized the Kanes from seeing them in the press. He took a seat at the bar in order to feel less awkward.

He had been pleasantly surprised when he'd met Logan for coffee the previous month. Logan hadn't come across as spoiled or useless as he'd expected. He hadn't been _anything_ like he'd expected. Sure, he walked around as if everyone around him were only there to grant his wishes, but it hadn't seemed evil, it just seemed to be a natural part of him. He had been polite, expressed interested in Charlie's life, and was very self-deprecating. When reluctantly providing details about growing up with Aaron Echolls, Logan had used humor to dull the edges of his story. As if turning it into a joke would make it hurt less.

Charlie realized that had they met for some other reason, he would have liked Logan Echolls. He hoped that they could eventually become friends.

* * *

"Duncan Kane?" Sophia asked the young man approaching the table.

"Yes, I'm Duncan." He responded quietly with a smile.

Sophia tried not to allow her face to reflect her opinion. She knew that Logan had run into Duncan the night before, and that they had rekindled their friendship. Sophia personally thought it was a bad idea. In Logan's stories about his teenage years, Duncan had always come across as a taker, content to let Logan fight his battles without ever explaining what the fight was all about. Sophia knew that Duncan had dumped Veronica without ever explaining his reasoning, which made him a coward at the very least. When Logan was at rock bottom, alone and depressed, accused of murder, and the entire town was against him, Duncan had been nowhere to be found.

However, Logan couldn't see any of that. All Logan saw was the guy he'd always looked up to. To Logan, Duncan had been the perfect boy, from the perfect family, with the perfect grades, the perfect girlfriend, the perfect future ahead of him. For the sake of Logan, Sophia hoped that Duncan had built some character while he was on the run with his daughter.

"Welcome. You're at the head table in seat #12." She told him.

* * *

Duncan glanced around, but didn't see Logan or Veronica anywhere. The ballroom was decorated tastefully. It didn't have any of the glitz or glamour that usually accompanied Logan Echolls, so he surmised that it was the assistant who had done most of the preparations. He'd noticed that she hadn't seemed to like him very much, and he wondered what Logan had said about him.

So, Logan and Veronica...Again.

He really wanted to be happy for them. Veronica's words of the previous evening had resonated with him. His relationship with her when they were dating could never have been described as exactly _happy_. She had been beautiful, and the perfect girlfriend, but it had always seemed like there was something wrong. As if she had been putting on an act for him. He wondered if his fixation on Veronica for all these years had been more about recapturing that time of innocence before Lilly's death, rather than Veronica herself.

Sometimes, on days when he was willing to face the truth, it was Meg's face that popped up in his head when he heard the words 'love of my life', and sometimes, he hated himself when he thought that he'd hurt her so badly that she wouldn't ride in the limousine that day. He could have been truly happy with Meg. He wished he'd never learned the results of Veronica's paternity test.

And then…there was Logan. Duncan had never admitted to anybody how much he'd always wanted to be like Logan. Duncan was the boy who'd had everything going for him. Logan had been a train wreck. Logan had been abandoned by his mother and beaten regularly by his father. Why would anybody want to be him?

But, there was something about Logan that Duncan could never have. Logan was like a magnet, and the rest of the world his metal shavings. Everybody wanted to be around Logan - even his enemies always had a grudging respect for him. And you couldn't stay mad at Logan. No matter how much of a jackass Logan acted, in the end, you were still just a metal shaving. Logan brought out the absolute worst in people and also, their absolute best.

Duncan imagined that if he hadn't fled the country with Lilly, that he'd be halfway to the Oval Office by now, with Logan right by his side, doing all the work to make it happen.

Duncan was going to be a better friend this time around.

* * *

"Hello Sophia." Veronica said timidly. This was her first time seeing Sophia since the Texas Holdem table. Of course, Sophia had been a significant part of her wedding, but Veronica had no memory of that.

"Hello Veronica." Sophia said. She smiled, but her eyes were worried. "How have you been?"

"The usual." Veronica smiled. "Got married, put a bid on a mansion. Typical week."

"Logan's not with you?" Sophia asked.

"No. You know Logan." Veronica rolled her eyes. "Why do anything the easy way, when you can crank up the dramatic effect to the maximum level. He'll probably wait for me to make the announcement, and then drop from the ceiling on a golden swing."

Sophia snorted despite herself. She was relieved to see that Veronica looked amused rather than annoyed at Logan's dramatics.

"So you're going to make the announcement yourself?" Sophia asked.

"I don't know." Veronica admitted. "I'm terrified. I wish I could make Logan do it, but he's probably nervous as well. We'll figure it out, I guess."

Sophia looked at her sympathetically. "Your table is on the dais. You're in the center seat - it's marked #7. Logan will be in #6."

"Thanks Sophia." Veronica smiled.

"Good luck." Sophia answered.

* * *

Veronica surveyed the Neptune Grand ballroom from the doorway. She had to admit, the room looked stunning. She loved the black and white color-scheme. Sophia had done an excellent job, and the guests seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Speaking of guests, who on earth _were_ all these people? In addition to her friends and family, there had to be a good 200 people that she didn't know. That husband of hers! Hated people, but everybody loved him. A small smile formed on her lips. At least this time, the party was about _her_. Take that Parker Lee! She prayed that the wedding cake didn't have Logan's face on it though. That had been creepy.

She glanced around, noticing the dais that Sophia had directed her to. Oh no! One long table! It reminded her of "The Last Supper". She really didn't need to follow that train of thought, because after her father and her friends found out what she'd done, it very well _could_ be her last supper.

She noticed that only Duncan was seated at the end of the head table, so using her keenly developed powers of deduction, she headed to the bar where she found Wallace, Weevil, Mac and her father sipping cocktails. She ordered a rum and Coke and then joined them.

"So, are you ever going to explain the purpose of this party?" Wallace asked.

"When the time is right."

"It looks like a wedding reception. Did you and Duncan run off and elope?" Weevil asked.

"You guessed it." Veronica laughed. "And then I seated him at the very end of the table just to throw you all off. Why does everybody think I'm dating Duncan? We're just friends."

"Because you've gone out with him for the past three weekends?" Wallace answered.

"Those weren't dates." Veronica said in frustration. "I go out to eat with you and Weevil. I'm not dating you guys."

"V, how are you paying for this party?" Weevil asked, changing the subject.

"I told you everything will be revealed soon. Jeez!" Veronica said, sipping on her rum and coke.

Mac eyed Veronica with a knowing smile. Did she know something?

"Who was that lady who told me where to sit?" Keith asked.

"That would be Sophia." Veronica answered.

"And you know her from...where?" Keith asked.

"All will be revealed. No more questions." Veronica insisted

* * *

"Hi Sophia!" A girl's voice said shyly.

"Heather! How nice to see you again!" Sophia smiled sincerely.

The 16-year-old girl was adorable in her pink A-line party dress and her hair was side parted and pulled back in a low ponytail.

Sophia had met Heather once when she'd stopped by Logan's apartment to have him sign some papers, and found him playing video games with a teenage girl. Logan thought of the girl like a little sister, and every time her family was in L.A., she and Logan would get together for ice cream and video games. Apparently, they played online on Fridays as well. She was a very nice girl.

"Logan won't tell me anything about this party, but he says that I'll be happy about it."

"Perhaps." Sophia smiled. If what Logan had told her about his first meeting with Heather were true, then Heather would probably be ecstatic when the announcement was made. "Your seat is at the head table. You're in seat #1. Look for a place card.

As for the announcement, Sophia had an idea that could get both Logan and Veronica off the hook. She reached for her laptop to do some preparation.

* * *

Heather felt a little awkward stepping into the ballroom. Logan and Sophia were the only people she knew here. Oh, and it looked like her skanky ex brother-in-law was here. The guy who had gotten Melinda so worked up when he'd made fun of her toes. Actually, she should give Dick a high-five for that. It was the perfect ammunition to use against Melinda when she was being a bitch. "You couldn't even keep your first husband with those ugly toes of yours." That usually resulted in Melinda stomping off in a huff.

A beautiful blonde in red caught Heather's eyes. Was that? Could it possibly be? Veronica Mars? Logan would be so excited! Heather knew that Logan still kept pictures of Veronica in his apartment and on his computer. He was so totally in love with her even after all of these years.

An idea started to sprout in Heather's head. This time, she wasn't going to let Logan down. By the end of the night, she would get Logan and Veronica back together somehow. Thank goodness, there was a DJ. Heather found her place at the end of the head table and started racking her brain for a song that she could dedicate to Veronica from Logan.

* * *

Mac took in the ballroom around her. This was quite a crowd filled with Neptune's elite.

How had her rag-tag gang of friends managed to snag invites, and at the head table for that matter?

Mac had a suspicion, but had no evidence to support her theory yet.

She wasn't sure what had motivated her to take such pains with her appearance for this party, but she was looking better than ever. She hadn't gotten out much since her break-up with Max the previous year, and she finally felt ready to put herself out there again. A party was a great time to start.

Noticing the pale blonde hair of Dick Casablancas in the crowd, Mac smiled. She hadn't always liked Dick, but since college, she'd felt a sort of kinship with him. She'd run into him here and there - at the beach, at the grocery store, at a restaurant. She found that she rather liked chatting with the big dork. She wandered over and touched him on the arm.

"Mac!" He exclaimed when he turned around, and pulled her into a big hug. "Hey, how've you been? Haven't seen you around much lately. Wow! You're looking HOT tonight girl!"

Mac laughed at his exuberance. Dick hadn't changed a bit.

A tall figure in the doorway caught Macs eye, and all of the tumblers clicked into place. Mac had her evidence. This should be a very _entertaining_ night to say the least. She told Dick she would catch up with him later and headed back over to the bar.

* * *

Dick watched Mac walk away and wished she hadn't. Mac wasn't Dick's type of girl. She wasn't tall, she wasn't built like a Barbie Doll, she wasn't trampy. But whenever Mac walked away from him, he was always left wanting more. He didn't know exactly what that meant.

Sometimes he wanted to call her up to see if she would like to get something to eat with him. He was used to rejection - it was all a numbers game - but he thought that being rejected by Mac wouldn't feel the same as being rejected by all of the other girls. He thought it might actually hurt.

He should talk to Logan about it some time to see what he thought.

* * *

"Uh-Oh. Heads up, V." Weevil said stiffening and grabbing Veronica's arm. "Don't look now, but somebody brought Logan Echolls to your party."

Veronica looked up to see that Logan had arrived and was mingling with the crowd. By mingling, he was surrounded by several women, one of whom kept feeling the need to put her hand on Logan's arm as she spoke. Veronica chose to ignore that. Soon, everyone would know he belonged to her and to keep their grubby mitts off her husband.

Veronica and Logan's eyes met and he offered her a mischievous smile. He was loving this.

"Who would be dumb enough to bring Logan to a party hosted by Veronica?" Wallace asked.

Mac gave Veronica a knowing smile.

"You ok, V?" Weevil asked. "I'd be happy to escort him out. Forcefully"

"I'd be happy to help." Wallace added scowling. "I'm still not happy about what went down with Piz."

Veronica lost her patience. "Wallace, that was five years ago, get the hell over it. Weevil, I am fine, and no, I do not want you to escort Logan out. Mac, just quit looking at me like that."

Mac laughed. "I knew it was bound to happen someday."

"What was bound to happen?" Wallace asked.

Mac only shook her head smirking and wandered away.

* * *

Logan mingled his way ever closer, and Veronica felt a delicious shiver of anticipation. God, he looked hot. He was wearing another one of his suits that cost more than her car. What a difference money and good tailoring made! He outshone every other man in the place, and it wasn't just because she was in love with him; he was damn hot.

Logan had a natural magnetism that made people flock to him. As some guests ebbed away from him, new guests flowed into his orbit. Veronica wanted to go to him, take his hand, claim ownership over him, but she would have to bide her time a little longer. Not that it really mattered. People were going to figure everything out just from the secret little smiles he couldn't seem to resist sending her way every minute or so. She smiled back. He was so obvious.

* * *

Weevil glared at Logan Echolls. Logan didn't even notice. A group of adoring 09ers who were shaking his hand and patting him on the back surrounded him.

He should have known the jackass wouldn't stay gone for good. They always came back. He had not seen Logan in years, but he had heard through the grapevine that Logan had only gotten richer and richer, while Weevil had to work 60-hour workweeks just to get by.

Veronica didn't need this. Logan had put her through enough over the years, including sleeping with that girl that Veronica hated. Madison-something. He had only ever caused pain to Veronica. And Lilly. Subconsciously, Weevil knew what this was really about: Lilly. It had always been about Lilly and the guy she had gone running back to every time he'd crooked his finger.

Weevil found himself approaching Logan.

* * *

Logan could not stop staring at Veronica. She looked amazing. Her hair was long, full, and wavy and she wore a low-cut, long, red halter dress that hugged every curve. He could not believe that she was actually his wife. He intended to keep it that way. Forever.

Veronica turned to speak to somebody, and Logan groaned aloud. Her dress was backless, the fabric draping right above her ass. It took everything Logan had not to walk over and rub his face on all that smooth white bare skin. So that was why she had been so secretive at Nordstrom's the day before. She always had loved torturing him.

Logan felt a hand grab his arm in a vice grip, attempting to pull him away from Veronica's vicinity. Logan locked his feet, refusing to budge.

"Stay away from Veronica." Weevil said quietly, trying not to cause a scene.

"Veronica? Why? Was my presence offending her? What'd she say?" Logan asked, smirking.

"She doesn't have to say anything. Haven't you caused her enough trouble over the years?"

"Trouble? I remember getting her _out_ of trouble several times. Can't remember ever getting her _into_ trouble." Logan answered snarkily.

"Pardon my attack dog. How've you been, Logan?" Veronica asked, approaching them and holding out her arms for a hug.

Logan hugged her tightly, as an old friend would, leaning over to whisper in her ear. "You look so fucking hot. All I can think about is how I'm going to get that dress off of you. Is the zipper on the right side or the left?"

"Still the comedian!" Veronica laughed, releasing him and slapping him on the arm. "Thank you so much for coming to my little shindig."

"Left." She mouthed at him.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." Logan smirked at her.

"Come on, Weevil, let's leave poor Logan alone." Veronica said, dragging him away while he shot glares at Logan over his shoulder.

* * *

"Logan!" A voice cried. Logan turned to see Dick Casablancas hurrying towards him. Dick hugged him lifting him off his feet and spinning him in a circle.

"Dick!" Logan called back. "Next time, I'll be ok with a handshake! Honestly!"

"I'm so glad you're back! I was surprised to get your invite in the mail the other day. Kind of short notice, but who's complaining? Free drinks and hot lonely chicks, right? At least you're home. How long you staying?"

"I'm back for good, and everything will be explained before the night is out."

"For good?" Dick asked excitedly! "That's great dude! We should go out tomorrow night and pick up some babes!"

Logan only shook his head.

Duncan approached and hugged Logan, keeping up the charade admirably. The three guys caught up for a while until Logan noticed Sophia motioning him over to the doorway, and he excused himself.

* * *

Sophia clinked her fork against her glass.

"Can I ask everybody to be seated?" She called out.

Slowly, tables began filling up. At the head table, Veronica took her seat in the center. To her left were her father, Wallace, Weevil, Mac, and Duncan. On Logan's side was Sophia, two empty seats, Charlie Stone, Dick, and a teenage girl who must be Heather Button. Logan's seat was empty, as was Trina's.

Veronica looked across the room, but there was no sign of Logan.

"Where's Logan?" She whispered to Sophia.

"I sent him on an errand to grab something." Sophia whispered back. "I don't think he should be sitting at this table when the announcement is made. I see three guys next to you who may be tempted to punch him."

Veronica turned to look her head at Keith, Wallace and Weevil.

"You may have a point." She whispered, turning back to Sophia. "I guess that leaves it to me to make the announcement."

"Don't worry." Sophia said. "I'm going to handle it. When I see Logan in the doorway, I'll get it out of the way."

Veronica looked at her gratefully. "Thanks!" She said. "I'm famous for my avoidance skills."

Sophia gave her a small smile.

* * *

Trina Echolls entered the ballroom hurriedly and looked around. Seeing the head table, she made her way up. Sophia indicated the empty chair between herself and Charlie Stone.

"Hello Sophia. Where is my baby brother? And what exactly is this all about?" Trina asked.

"Keep your voice down." Sophia told her quietly. "I'll make the announcement in the next minute or so."

"Hi Veronica! What are you doing up here?" Trina asked cheerfully.

"Oh…" she said, her mouth making an "O" shape, and then quieted down.

Dick was also doing mental calculations trying to figure out what Veronica and her friends were doing at this table, and why she was sitting in the center instead of by her boyfriend Duncan.

Heather smiled happily. It would be much easier to get Veronica and Logan back together with her sitting at the table. Where was Logan anyway? Was that empty chair next to Veronica his? How romantic! Maybe their hands would accidentally brush during dinner and they would look into each other's eyes shyly, and suddenly they would be overcome with love. Heather giggled at the romance of it all.

Charlie eyed Veronica. She was a very pretty girl, but he was sure he had seen her face somewhere before.

Keith examined Veronica's body language. She had her chair slightly turned away from him, and was speaking to the attractive lady who did not like him very much. Now he was sure Veronica was hiding something big. She obviously did not want him to be able to catch her eye. Moreover, what was she doing in that dress? If she were still living with him, he would not have let her leave the house dressed like that. She was practically naked in the back.

Wallace filled Weevil in on the brunette who had given him her digits. Her name had been Emma, and they had already made plans to go out to dinner tomorrow.

Weevil was thoroughly enjoying his third plate of bruschetta, and hadn't noticed the odd atmosphere on the dais.

Mac, noticing Trina, was positive now. Also, she finally knew why she had recognized the lady's voice. She must be Sophia.

Mac caught Dick's eyes and stuck her tongue out. She crossed her eyes. She made a duck face.

Dick laughed at Mac. None of the girls he knew made faces at him. They were too vain to look silly for even a moment. He made exaggerated kissy faces back to her. Then he wondered what it would be like to kiss her for real.

* * *

Veronica saw Logan step into the doorway. He looked surprised to see everybody already seated. She nudged Sophia as he began approaching the dais.

Sophia began clinking her glass again. Gradually, all conversation stopped, and everybody looked up to the dais.

"Welcome." Sophia called, her voice loud and clear. "I'd like to thank each and every one of you for joining us tonight. I'm sure you are all wondering what we're celebrating tonight. Unfortunately, both of your hosts are suffering from a bad case of stage-fright."

Logan was about to hop up on the dais to take his seat when he noticed both Sophia and Veronica telling him to stay put with their eyes. He found a column to lean against close to the dais, and stared at Veronica, earning glares from Keith, Wallace and Weevil.

Sophia continued. "You've all heard the saying 'A picture is worth a thousand words?' Well, I have a picture that will answer all of your questions."

Veronica stared back at Logan. She blushed at the naughty thoughts that ran through her head. She couldn't help it; he was so hot when he leaned. And when he stared at her like that. And when he existed.

"So without further ado..."

Sophia cued up the laptop in front of her, and then raised a remote control and pointed it at a giant screen on the right side of the room.

Sophia clicked the power button.

The screen turned on, displaying a giant photograph. Logan wearing a tuxedo and Veronica in a beautiful wedding gown, a tasteful tiara on her head, were holding each other's hands. Veronica was giggling, and Logan had his head thrown back in laughter. Behind them stood a rhinestone jump-suited Elvis with an amused look on his face.

Veronica broke into a huge smile at the sight. She was going to get this one framed to hang in the living room, Elvis or no Elvis.

And that...was when all hell broke loose.


	9. NotSoWarm Reception Part Two

**Veronica's Hangover**

**Present Time – Neptune Grand Ballroom**

_The screen turned on, displaying a giant photograph. Logan wearing a tuxedo and Veronica in a beautiful wedding gown, a tasteful tiara on her head, were holding each other's hands. Veronica was giggling, and Logan had his head thrown back in laughter. Behind them stood a rhinestone jump-suited Elvis with an amused look on his face. _

_And that...was when all hell broke loose. _

It began with Keith: "Veronica, what have you done? Not Logan Echolls!"

Sophia broke in to defend Logan, and suddenly the entire table was yelling at once. Veronica couldn't even make out who was saying what, only catching snippets of their words.

"Anybody but Logan Echolls...Bum Fights...turned him in for murder...bashed your headlights...Rich dude kryptonite...So Romantic...Attacked Piz...the way he treated Lilly...destroyed the Aaron Echolls tapes...Fifth time's the charm...Rescued her from Cassidy...Broke her heart...Broke his heart...Mrs. Casablancas...Burned down the swimming pool...Madison Sinclair...ran back to Duncan...Bound to happen...Belong together...whipped...saved her when the rapist drugged her...used Hannah Griffith...Gory Sorokin..."

Veronica began laughing. This was ridiculous. She looked at Logan desperately, and he returned her look. He didn't know what to do either.

"Stop it." Veronica yelled. Everybody ignored her.

"Stop it." She yelled even louder. Everybody ignored her.

She tried to leave, but the table was too close to the wall.

"Let me through." She said to her father, but he ignored her, too busy arguing with Sophia.

"Let me through." She said to Sophia, but she ignored her, too busy arguing with Keith.

She rinsed. She repeated. Same results.

* * *

Veronica looked at Logan again helplessly. There were only two ways out of here, and she did not feel like climbing up on top of the table, and dodging crystal and candle flames. She dropped to her knees, lifting the tablecloth, and crawled underneath. She saw the tablecloth lift from sthe other side, and there was Logan's face.

"Peek-A-Boo?" He asked, eyebrows lifted. Veronica, remembering her lustful thoughts from a minute earlier, pulled him into a kiss.

"Veronica?" He said after they parted. "As much as I'd love to continue making out under our wedding table, we have a situation here." His eyes angled at the table above them. He helped to lift her from under the table, and off of the dais.

Veronica wrapped her arms around Logan's neck, kissing him again, soundly, as he slowly lowered her to the floor - much to the pleasure of the 200 or so guests at the round tables who whistled at them. She looked back up at the dais, but nobody seemed to have even noticed she was gone except for Mac, who was giving her a thumbs up, and Heather who was beaming at them.

Annoyed, Veronica grabbed Logan's hand and dragged him across the room.

"Hey Butters." she said storming the DJ booth. At his dirty look, she amended: "Vincent, I mean. Give me your microphone."

"Sorry, Veronica. Nobody touches my equipment." He said.

"Do you not see World War 3 breaking out at the bridal table?" Veronica asked.

"Sorry. No. Can. Do." Butters said.

"Give me your microphone." Veronica insisted.

"Get me another date with Mac." Butters countered.

"Deal." Veronica said guiltily, taking the microphone from his hand and hitting the power button. Looking back at the dais, she saw that they were all STILL arguing.

* * *

"Silence!" she yelled too closely to the microphone, causing a high squeal of feedback. Suddenly, every eye in the room was on her, as people rubbed their aching ears.

"So it looks like I have your attention." Veronica laughed nervously. "First of all, to our assembled guests." She swept her hand towards the round tables. "Logan and I would like to thank all of you for your presence tonight. We appreciate everyone making it on such short notice and with so little information. Now please forgive me while I _chew out_ our closest friends and family." She pointed toward the bridal table. "All of you, the arguing and bickering needs to stop _immediately_."

"I understand that some of you think that Logan is no good for me. Others of you think that I'm no good for Logan. That may have been true in the past. Logan and I have caused each other a lot of pain. And I do mean_ each other_. I have caused him just as much, if not more, pain as he's caused me. But the thing is? We just can't stop loving each other. Time doesn't make it go away, and distance doesn't make it go away."

"And yes, Logan is going to make me crazy. He'll probably make me crazy at least once a day, but he'll also make me happier than I could ever possibly be without him. We love each other and we belong together. I need all of you to respect my marriage and I expect every single one of you to treat my husband with respect if you want to remain in my life."

She turned as if to return the microphone, but then pulled it back. "Oh, and Mac? I apologize profusely, but you're going on another date. I owe you big time. Now did somebody say we were having prime rib?"

She handed the microphone to Logan to pass to Butters.

As she looked out at the room, all of the guests where staring at her silently, except for Jake Kane who smiled and started a slow clap.

"My girl is fierce!" Logan said into the microphone smirking. "Go get 'em Bobcat!"

He passed the mike to Butters and took Veronica's outstretched hand. He stopped her when she tried to lead him away.

"Your rings?" He asked, and she nodded. Logan pulled them from his pocket and slipped them back onto her finger.

Veronica kissed him tenderly, a smile on her face.

"I meant everything I just said." She told him.

"I know." He answered. "And for the record, making you..._ crazy..._ is my favorite activity."

"You make everything sexual." She laughed.

"And yet, you adore me." He answered, kissing her forehead before they returned to their table.

* * *

Veronica led Logan by the hand back up onto the dais to take their seats, challenging each person with her eyes as she passed them by. Duncan looked pleasant enough. Mac looked like she wanted to ring Veronica's neck, so Veronica broke eye contact with her quickly. Weevil pursed his lips and gave her the side-eye. Wallace and her father managed to look contrite enough.

As Veronica and Logan took their seats, Sophia reached across Logan to take Veronica's hand, squeezing it. She didn't say a word, but she didn't have to. Veronica squeezed back. They had an understanding now.

Veronica chanced to look down Logan's side of the table. Trina was smiling at her. Charlie stone looked confused. Dick looked like somebody had run over his dog, and Heather looked like she was about to burst from excitement.

Sophia clinked her glass again.

"Attention everybody." She said when the conversation died down. "They will begin serving the sit-down dinner any minute now. Please notify your server if you require the vegetarian meal. In the meantime, I have a special treat for you tonight. Let's call it _dinner entertainment_."

Veronica looked at Logan, but he shook his head. He didn't know what Sophia had planned.

Sophia continued. "Logan and Veronica regret that their friends and families couldn't come to their wedding. Therefore, we've brought the wedding to you."

"Sophia." Logan said with a tight smile. "You're not planning to show our wedding video are you?"

"But of course, Logan. If I had to sit through it, I think all of these people should too."

"Um..no. We were drunk." He said, still smiling tightly.

"That's what makes it so funny." Sophia smiled.

"No. You are not playing that video."

Sophia called out to the guests. "Never mind. Logan doesn't want me to play his wedding video. I apologize for the confusion."

The ballroom was filled with a chorus of "Boo's." Even most of the guests at the head table got into the act.

Logan looked at Veronica. "What should we do? Besides firing Sophia?"

Veronica shrugged. "Play the video. I'd like to see it."

"Wouldn't you rather see it in the privacy of our own home, darling?" Logan asked.

"I just chewed out my friends in front of 200 guests, if I can deal with that embarrassment, I can deal with a wedding video."

"OK, but you asked for it." Logan said warily and sourly motioned for Sophia to proceed.

Sophia opened the video on her laptop, moved it to the extended desktop, where it replaced the photo of Logan and Veronica on the giant screen, and pressed play.

* * *

**Wedding Video - Saturday Night - Wedding Chapel**

_The video opened with a view of Veronica standing in an open doorway onto a garden lit with thousands of white lights. She was wearing her wedding dress and holding a bouquet of lilies. The perspective changed to show Logan who was clearly overwhelmed with emotion at the sight of Veronica. Sophia stood by his side. Elvis, wearing a rhinestone bell-bottom jumper was standing in the center of the gazebo. Piano music began playing, and Elvis began singing "I Can't Help Falling In Love With You"_

_Veronica, expecting the traditional wedding song, snorted a laugh. She began walking down the aisle slowly, trying her hardest to control her laughter. A third of the way down the aisle, Veronica tripped. She caught herself before she fell, and did a little dance step to cover. She did a few more dance steps. Logan looked on laughing. Veronica managed to make it the rest of the way down the aisle with only a few wobbles. _

_Veronica smiled as Logan reached out his hands to take hers, guiding her to stand in front of him, as Elvis finished his abbreviated version of the song. _

_"One second." Logan said. He took Veronica's bouquet of lilies from her. _

_"Did you bring what I asked for?" He addressed Sophia. She rolled her eyes and handed him a tissue-wrapped glazed donut. _

_He looked at Veronica. "Now we can have Lilly and Duncan here with us, like it should be." he said setting the items down on the first-row pew. _

_Veronica laughed. "Lilly would love this. If she didn't kill me first for marrying her boyfriend..."_

_"I know she would." Logan agreed. "Of course she would have campaigned for some Vegas showgirls as bridesmaids."_

_Veronica laughed in agreement. "She would have borrowed the showgirl's costume. I can just see Lilly in feathers."_

_Logan laughed. "We're ready." he told Elvis. _

_"Logan and Veronica - Today you enter as individuals, but you will leave here as husband and wife, blending your lives, expanding your family ties, and embarking upon the grandest adventure of human interaction. The story of your life together is still yours to write. Those present have come to witness and celebrate your love and commitment this day - eager to be a part of the story not yet told."_

_Elvis began reciting a speech about love. It wasn't audible on the video because of the laughter. It started when Veronica tittered. Then she chuckled. Then she broke into a full-fledged laugh. Logan smiled down at her amused. Veronica held her hand up, and took several deep breaths to get ahold of herself. Finally, composed, she gave Elvis the signal to continue. The moment the first word came out of his mouth, Veronica burst into laughter again. Logan joined her this time, cracking up. This went on for several minutes. Every time they got their laughter under control, their eyes would meet and they'd start laughing again. Finally, wiping away tears, they managed to get a grip on their laughter._

_Elvis eyed them warily, wanting to make sure they were truly done with their hysterics. Finally, he moved on._

_Do you Logan, take Veronica to be your wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do you part?" _

_"I do." Logan said, smiling at Veronica._

_Do you Veronica, take Logan to be your husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do you part?"_

_Veronica pretended she was considering it for a moment, and then said, "I do."_

_"I'm glad they took out the obey part." Veronica giggled. _

_"You know that I'll always obey you, sweetheart." Logan smirked._

_"Logan, have you prepared any vows of your own?" Elvis asked him. _

_"No, this was a complete surprise." He said, and Elvis nodded ready to start back up. _

_"Wait." Logan said. _

_Veronica smiled up at him... _

_"Can I just make something up as I go?" Logan asked. _

_Elvis gave Logan the 'be my guest' hand gesture._

_"Veronica, I never thought I would be able to get you to the alter. I would like to thank you for drinking tequila tonight, and to thank you for talking me into getting married. It's what I've always wanted – you and me married. I look forward to a lifetime of arguing with you. I look forward to seducing you five minutes before you need to head out the door, and watching you squirm every time we have dinner with your father, and being bossed around by you, and interrogated by you, and tracked by GPS. I look forward to you getting jealous every time another girl even looks at me. But most of all, I look forward to you being there every morning when I wake up and every night when I go to sleep. I really love you, Veronica."_

_Logan smiled to indicate he was done._

_"Veronica, would you like to say anything to Logan?"_

_Veronica laughed. "Gosh Logan! How could I possibly beat that? Let's see...things I look forward to...I look forward to being too much man for you, and watching every girl in the vicinity hit on you, and the paparazzi - they're always fun. I look forward to the emotional roller-coaster that we are, and Daily Inspirational Messages, and those ridiculous pet names that you make up on the spot." Veronica's smirk softened to a gentle smile. "I look forward to you constantly touching my face and kissing my forehead. I look forward to having somebody who just "gets me" and likes me anyway. I look forward to you always having my back and being there when I need you the most. And I really look forward to the things you do with your hands." Veronica covered her mouth, remembering where they were. "I really love you too Logan."_

_Elvis made a gesture that it was time to move along. A mischievous smile coming upon her face, Veronica continued._

_"Logan, I take you to be my Hunk a Hunk of Burning Love. I'm finally ready to move out of the Heartbreak Hotel."_

_"Because I've stopped being such a Hound Dog?" Logan asked._

_"And I've tried to get a handle on my Suspicious Mind." Veronica asserted. _

_"So you Won't Be Cruel anymore?" Logan asked._

_"Nope. I'll even be your Teddy Bear." Veronica answered. _

_Elvis rolled his eyes at Sophia. _

_"Thank God, because I've been Lonesome Every Night." Logan said. _

_"Well, you didn't have to be, but all my letters were Return to Sender."_

_"I never could Help Falling in Love With You." Logan said._

_"But can you Love Me Tender?" Veronica asked._

_"For my darling I love you, and I always will." Logan said quietly._

_Veronica stared into his eyes and then wrapped her arms around his neck to kiss him. _

_"After the ceremony." Elvis said putting restraining hands between them. "You realize you just stole my whole shtick! I have to skip the entire next section now."_

"_Sorry." Veronica said, trying not to laugh again._

_Following Elvis' instruction, Logan said: "I give you this ring, as I give to you all that I am, and accept from you, all that you are."_

_He slipped the platinum band on Veronica's finger._

_Veronica repeated the process, slipping the ring on Logan's finger._

_By the power vested in me by the State of Nevada, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride." _

_As Elvis began singing "Love Me Tender", Logan kissed Veronica reverently, touching her face as he did so. _

_"Are you happy?" he asked when they parted. _

_"Yes!" Veronica answered. "And kind of starving too." _

_Logan laughed. _

_"Would it be mean if I ate Duncan?" she asked, reaching for the glazed donut. _

_"His purpose has been served." Logan answered, leaning over to take a bite. "Give me half of that."_

_Logan thanked Elvis and then pulled Sophia into a hug. "Thank you so much for putting this together at such short notice. Love you Soph."_

_Sophia grumbled as the video faded out._

* * *

**Present time - Neptune Grand Ballroom**

Veronica sat very still with bright red cheeks. Now she understood Logan's warning. She could not believe that her father had just heard her talk about the things Logan could do with his hands. She looked at Logan and he raised his eyebrow.

"If you say I told you so…" Veronica said.

"Would I ever say that?" Logan asked, smirking.

* * *

A/N Part 3 of this chapter will give L & V a chance to mingle with their guests. Then probably one more small chapter and an Epilogue.


	10. Getting Warmer

**Veronica's Hangover**

**Chapter 8 Pt. 3 – Getting Warmer**

* * *

Dinner had bypassed and exceeded Veronica's expectations.

"Logan. Buy me the chef please." she whispered as they wandered away from the table to mingle with their guests.

"Is he for sale?"

"You know what they say, everybody has a price." Veronica smiled.

"You want me to buy you a person. I've finally succeeded in corrupting you." Logan said, twirling his imaginary mustache.

* * *

Sophia allowed the tension to drain from her shoulders. The worst possible scenario had happened, it had been handled, and it was over with. Now she could afford to breathe and enjoy the results of her handiwork. She had to admit, she had been pleasantly surprised by Veronica's defense of Logan. If Veronica could learn how to weather storms instead of trying to outrun them, she might end up being good for Logan after all. She certainly seemed to understand how he ticked.

"We seem to have gotten off to a rocky start." A voice said. Sophia turned to see Keith Mars approaching her.

"Let's start over." He said. "I'm Keith Mars." He held out his hand.

"Sophia Dane." She answered, coolly.

"I sense you're mistrustful of me for some reason." Keith said.

"I think you're a threat to Logan's happiness." Sophia answered honestly.

"Are you a relative of Logan's?" Keith asked.

"No. I sort-of adopted him when he was still in school. Officially, I'm his Personal Assistant. Unofficially, I'm his over-protective mom." She answered.

"And what was your opinion of this marriage." Keith asked.

"I was against it at first." Sophia admitted. "I met Logan after he'd lost Veronica, and it wasn't pretty. I don't know if he could take losing her again."

"And now?" Keith asked.

"After that speech of your daughters? I think they just might make it." She answered.

"So tell me truthfully, why should I trust Logan with my daughter?" Keith asked.

Sophia considered his question for a moment before answering. "Because he's remained emotionally faithful to her for over five years, even when he had no reason to have hope. There is no chance that he's going to mess things up again."

Keith mulled it over. He was happy that Logan had found someone to take care of him. He had never actively disliked Logan, and he had never doubted Logan's love for Veronica. However, Logan had issues. He was reckless, had no respect for authority, and was too charismatic for his own good.

On the other hand, he'd been deprived of the love and affection that should be a basic human right for any child. For Lynn and Aaron, Logan had been an accessory, as easily discarded as a broken watch when the going got tough. Even when surrounded by throngs of friends as the most popular kid in school, he'd always come across as lonely to Keith. And to be honest, Keith had failed Logan as much as everybody else had. His spidey-senses had always told him that Aaron was abusing Logan. As sheriff of Neptune, he should have found a way to get Logan out of that home. Had he done so when Logan was 12 or 13, the damage may have been minimized. Maybe he could have been placed into a loving home where he would have been taught basic values. That he was doing so well now said a lot for his strength and adaptability.

* * *

"Charlie, meet my lovely wife Veronica. Veronica, my half-brother, Charlie."

"Congratulations." Charlie said reaching out to shake Veronica's hand. "I can't help but feel like I know you from somewhere."

"I spoke to you once before - only for a second. That was how I learned that the man calling himself Charlie Stone was an imposter. I sincerely apologize for what happened when Logan went on Larry King. It wasn't until later that we learned that Norman Phipps was bugging your phone."

"I got over that a long time ago." Charlie reassured her. "I'm confused about what happened here tonight. If you've been together so long, why was it such a surprise to everybody that you'd eloped."

Logan and Veronica explained how they'd recently found each other again after their long separation.

"And you really decided to get married less than an hour after running into each other?" He asked.

"Blame it on the tequila Veronica drank." Logan laughed. "If I ever find out who that Tucker guy was buying the drinks, I'm going to send him a thank you card."

They excused themselves to greet other guests.

Charlie watched the way that Logan couldn't seem to stop touching Veronica. If his hand wasn't on the small of her back, he was brushing back a lock of her hair, or kissing her on the forehead. Logan Echolls was hopelessly in love. Maybe the Echolls blood wasn't necessarily cursed after all.

* * *

"Veronica, meet my adopted little sister Heather. Heather, Veronica obviously needs no introduction."

"Nice to meet you." Veronica said to the smiling teenager. "I believe we met before in an elevator."

"Yeah, when Logan wouldn't tell you how he felt. He should have told you." Heather said, shaking her head at Logan.

"He should have told me." Veronica agreed. "He was stupid for not taking your advice."

"Hey!" Logan said.

Heather beamed. "But you're finally together now. Married! I knew you would find your way back to each other. You're soul mates!"

Veronica raised an eyebrow at Logan. "You think?"

Logan only smiled, his eyes twinkling.

"I'm back in town for good, so we can play our video games in person now. Wait until you see the house I'm trying to buy." Logan told her.

"Maybe Veronica can play with us now." Heather suggested.

"Um...No." Logan said.

"He's only saying that because I always used to beat him at everything." Veronica said conspiratorially.

As they walked away, Heather reflected that this was the Best Love Story Ever. Logan looked at Veronica as if she was the most precious thing in the world. Totally soul mates! Like Catherine and Heathcliff. Minus the death. And the destruction. And the revenge, and all that stuff.

* * *

"Veronica! Logan!" Cliff said. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks." Logan said. "Thank you for coming."

"No, thank you! For getting married. This union is bound to be very lucrative for me."

"Lucrative, how?" Veronica asked.

"Well, considering your combined arrest records, I'll never be out of work again." Cliff said. "Excuse me; Who let Loretta Cancun in here?"

* * *

"Hey Mac." Dick said sidling up next to her and bumping her playfully with his hip.

"Dick." Mac smiled.

"So what was that stuff Ronnie was saying about you going on a date?" He asked, totally nonchalantly and everything.

Mac's eyes narrowed. "Butters. Principal Clemmons' son. He likes to trade favors for dates. With me. This is the second time she's accepted a date with him on my behalf."

"So...you uh...like him or something?" Dick asked.

Mac's glare was all the answer he needed.

* * *

The opening notes of "Sway" began, and Logan pulled Veronica out to the dance floor.

"This song..." She said, nostalgically.

"I asked him to play it." Logan said. "I'm going to get it right this time."

"Define 'get it right'" Veronica said.

"I'm going to kiss you." Logan said, before demonstrating just that.

"Mmmmm" Veronica said when the kiss broke.

"That first time...I was kicking myself for weeks for not making a move." Logan admitted.

"I was sure you were going to." Veronica said. "I had the butterflies in my tummy all ready to take flight, but you choked."

"Those butterflies still in there?" Logan asked.

"They hibernated for a few years, but they came back last week."

"That's a coincidence. I came back last week too."

"Coincidence." Veronica agreed, nodding. "You know, I'm glad you choked. If we had gotten back together then, I would have never gotten to hear your Epic Love speech."

"You and that speech." Logan said rolling his eyes. "The most memorable thing I've ever said to you is the only thing I can't remember saying."

* * *

"Let's boogie." Dick said to Mac, holding out his arm to her.

"Not right now." Mac said. At Dick's look, she continued. "It's not you. It's the song. Can we dance to the next song instead?"

"What? It reminds you of that dude you were dating?" he asked taking her hands and pulling her out to the dance floor, anyway. "The best way to get over it is to make a new memory with a hot rich guy."

Mac laughed nervously, allowing Dick to pull her into his arms, while she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"What was his name again?" Dick asked. "That dude you were with all those years."

"Max." Mac answered. "But it's not him this song reminds me of."

"Oh, that other dude?" Dick asked. He knew she'd dated some animal rights guy.

"Cassidy." She answered quietly.

"Oh." Dick said, a lump in his throat. "You danced to this song with him?"

"No." Mac said. "We left the dance. The music was spilling out into the night. This song. And we stopped to have a conversation. It didn't go well. I was pressuring him to get physical. I wish I had known…"

Dick took a deep breath and nodded.

"Do you wish you'd never met him?" He asked.

"No." Mac answered.

They danced in silence for a minute.

"I loved him." She said finally. It was barely a whisper.

"Yeah. Me too." Dick said. He pulled Mac's head gently against his chest.

After the song ended, Dick and Mac stood quietly at the edge of the dance floor, each thinking about Cassidy.

"Mac. There you are." Butters said rushing up to her. "So is next Friday good for you?"

Dick interrupted before Mac could answer. "Sorry dude. Next Friday's not good for me."

"I wasn't asking you, Dick" Butters sneered.

"Yeah, but Mac already has a date with me for next Friday." Dick said.

"Oh." Butters said. "So Saturday then?" He asked Mac.

"We have a date for Saturday too." Dick said.

Butters, getting frustrated, pulled a business card out of his pocket, handing it to Mac. "Call me when you don't have a date with _him_. I had a lot of fun with you at Alterna-Prom." He said before walking off.

"Thanks for the save." Mac said gratefully.

"Dick is here to service you." He said. "So are there special vegetarian restaurants or something? Where can you eat?"

"I can eat anywhere." She said laughing. "Just because a place serves meat, doesn't mean I have to eat it."

"Good. So it's a date – or dates. I'll make reservations someplace nice."

"You don't have to actually take me out, Dick." Mac laughed.

"Oh no! You're not weaseling out of it. I saved you, so now you owe me two dates." He said.

"Oh." Mac smiled shyly at him in surprise, her eyes sparkling. "OK."

* * *

"I can't believe you lied to me about this, V." Wallace said scowling. "I'm supposed to be your BFF."

"Well, I didn't exactly lie." Veronica said. "I just avoided everybody so I wouldn't have to lie."

"Why did you feel like you needed to keep this from me?"

"Because you've never really liked Logan." Veronica said.

"I never really _knew_ Logan." Wallace said. "You never brought him around to hang out."

"You guys have nothing in common." Veronica said.

"That may or may not be. You should let us decide that for ourselves. We made a pretty good team when we were partners for the egg drop."

"Oh, I remember. That time you took his side."

"A true best friend tells you when you're being a bitch." Wallace said, his eyes crinkling in amusement.

Veronica narrowed her eyes at him.

"Fine Wallace, from now on, I'll make it a point to find things the three of us can do together. Will that make you happy? Oh no, my dad has Logan cornered. Can you excuse me?"

Wallace rolled his eyes and watched his BFF walk away to separate Logan from another man in her life.

He should have known she would end up with Logan Echolls someday. They had always circled each other prizefighters sizing up their opponent. Going all the way back to that time when Logan had smashed Veronica's headlights, Logan had always seemed to be all about Veronica. "Foreplay" he'd said when Wallace had mentioned it. Whether they hated each other or loved each other, they'd always had a constant _awareness_ of each other.

Wallace may not have always liked Logan, but even he could admit that the guy was devoted to Veronica. During that egg drop contest, Logan had pretended to play it cool, but anybody with eyes could see he was doing it for Veronica, even knowing that if Veronica had won the Kane Scholarship, she would be heading off to Stanford, and he'd probably lose his opportunity to win her back. That had to be love, right?

* * *

Keith put a hand on Logan's shoulder, and Logan braced himself for an onslaught.

"So Logan." Logan gave him a small smile. "I'm going to be able to count on you to take care of my daughter?"

"Absolutely." Logan said.

"Always treat her with respect?"

"Yes."

"You'll be faithful this time?"

"I've been faithful _every_ time." Logan answered.

"You'll keep her safe?"

"To the very best of my ability. But you know that's a never-ending job."

Keith allowed a small smile.

"You love her?"

"Always have."

"I guess I always knew it would happen eventually." Keith said. "Every time I thought you two had moved on from each other, you'd pop back up."

Logan smiled. "I'm like a bad case of fleas." he said wryly.

"Well, there's nothing I can do now, but offer my congratulations." Keith said, holding out his hand.

Logan shook his hand, but before he could let go, Keith pulled him in to a hug.

"Welcome to the family." He said, patting Logan on the back.

"Thanks Dad!" Logan said smirking.

Keith gave him a look.

"Too soon?" Logan asked.

Keith nodded.

* * *

Veronica stopped in her tracks when she saw her father give Logan a hug. Maybe she should just let them be. They would never learn to get along on their own, if she kept running interference.

"Congratulations, Veronica." A voice said beside her.

"Thanks, Mr. Kane. I noticed your approval after my little speech earlier. "She said. "Glad it's not Duncan?"

Jake gave a little chuckle. "Actually, I was proud of you."

Veronica looked at him in surprise.

"I loved somebody once like you love Logan. But, I never took a stand like you did tonight, and that's been one of my biggest regrets."

Veronica realized that he was talking about her mother. Surprisingly, it didn't make her angry. It made her sympathetic.

"You still love her?" She asked. Jake looked away and gave an almost imperceptible nod.

"I was miserable being separated from Logan for all of those years. I can imagine how hard it's been for you.

Jake's eyes indicated that he was grateful for her empathy.

"If I had taken my stand and married your mother, I wouldn't have had Duncan or Lilly, or my beautiful granddaughter Lilly, so it was for the best. But you always wonder 'what if'. You made the right decision, Veronica."

Veronica put her hand on Jake's arm. "Thank you." She said, sincerely.

As she walked away, Jake called her name. "Veronica?"

She looked back.

"Lilly would have loved it." He smiled, unshed tears in his eyes.

Veronica smiled back.

* * *

"Congratulations, Logan."

Logan stopped. That voice sounded suspiciously like an ex-girlfriend.

"Parker." He said, pasting on a smile as he turned around.

Parker Lee smiled and held out her arms for a hug. Logan accepted, extricating himself as quickly as possible. He had a jealous wife to worry about.

"So you and Veronica." Parker said. "Not even a 'you were right, Parker'?" She asked smiling.

"You were right, Parker." Logan said sheepishly. "Listen, I'm really sorry about how things turned out. I didn't set out to hurt you, but I should have known it was too soon."

"I'm not."

"You're not what?" Logan asked.

"I'm not sorry that it turned out that way. It was the best thing that's ever happened to me. Misery loves company, and my company ended up becoming my husband."

"Wow! Piz!" Logan said uncomfortably when Parker turned to grab the arm of a man standing nearby.

"Congratulations!" Piz said shaking Logan's hand. Apparently, he didn't hold grudges.

"Thanks." Logan said. "So you two ended up together?"

Piz squeezed Parker against him. "Yep. We started out consoling each other, and then realized we had a lot in common. We have two sons now."

Logan congratulated them again and made his excuses.

* * *

Logan felt his arm being gripped in a vice.

"Why can't my déjà vu's ever be pleasant?" He asked, looking over to see Weevil.

"You ever lay a hand on her like you did Lilly, what happened to Thumper will be child's play." Weevil hissed at him.

Duncan walked up right when Logan lost his temper.

"You know _Weevs_, this isn't the first time you've implied that I hit Lilly. What the fuck makes you think that I would ever hit her? Or any woman?"

"I saw the bruises." Weevil said.

"Well they weren't from me." Logan said.

"Like I'm supposed to believe that? Who else would they be from?" Weevil asked.

"When exactly did you see these so-called bruises?" Logan asked exasperatedly. "I never saw any bruises on Lilly. I was the one with the bruises."

"August. The August before she died."

Logan thought about it. "August 2003? I wasn't even in the country. I was in St. Barts for almost the entire month that summer. With my parents."

"If it wasn't you, then who was it?" Weevil asked belligerently.

Duncan chose that moment to speak up.

"August, 2003? I think that was me."

Weevil turned to look at Duncan, murder in his eyes.

"I have a form of epilepsy. It's controllable with medication, but that was before we knew about it. She was teasing me, and I just flipped out. They pulled me off her, and got me into the hospital. I have no memory of what happened, but Lilly did have bruises from it." Duncan looked ashamed of himself.

Weevil stared at Duncan for a long time before turning back to look at Logan.

"I didn't kill Felix either." Logan said helpfully.

"Man." Weevil said. "All of these years I thought it was you…" He trailed off.

"Yeah." Logan said. "I can see where it would have looked that way."

That was the closest to an apology as they were going to get. They were guys.

"So hey, Weevs, you still doing maintenance?" Logan asked.

"Yeah, still at Hearst." Weevil answered.

"Think you could supervise a maintenance crew?" Logan asked. "Let me rephrase that. Think you could supervise a maintenance crew better than you supervised the PCHers?"

Weevil glared at Logan, but nodded.

"Give me a call next week." Logan said. "I just signed on an office campus, and I'll need a head of maintenance."

Weevil looked surprised and then nodded, bumped Logan's fist, and then headed off towards the desert table. Maybe he could start getting by on only 40-hour workweeks.

* * *

Logan noticed a crowd forming a circle on the dance floor, pushing his way in, he found Veronica and Dick Casablancas having a dance-off. He shook his head laughing. Wow. Dick had some moves.

"So you got the girl." Deputy Leo D'Amato said, standing next to him.

"Yeah, I got the girl." Logan said, smiling. He had a sudden memory flash of Leo and Veronica at the 80's dance.

"Hey weren't you dating Veronica for a while? What ever happened there?"

"She never told you?" Leo asked.

"No, it never came up." Logan answered, curiously.

"She dumped me for you." Leo answered.

Logan turned to face him. "Really? I never knew that. Sorry about that. I guess. Well, not really, but you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I feel a lot better about it now. At least she dumped me for her future husband instead of some three-week diversion."

* * *

Logan ran his hand down Veronica's bare back. "Let's get out of here." He said.

"I wish we could." Veronica said.

"I booked us a room for the night." He said, running a finger up her spine. "Let's go see how it compares to the penthouse."

"We can't." Veronica said. "We haven't even done the cake yet."

"But I want you really bad." Logan whispered in her ear, causing her to shiver. He followed it up by whispering all of the things he wanted to do to her.

"Want to go make out under the table?" She asked, ogling him.

Logan looked around the ballroom.

"Too many witnesses." He said regretfully. "But I did see a coat closet." He said, taking her arm and leading her away.

At the coat closet door, he looked both ways. Seeing that nobody was looking, he pulled open the door.

"Dude. Find your own closet." A voice yelled out.

Veronica looked around Logan to see Dick and Mac tangled up in a clinch. She pushed the closet door closed, meeting Logan's eyes in horror.

"Please tell me I didn't just see that." She said.

"You didn't just see that?" He said.

She sighed, regretfully.

Logan pulled her into his arms. Leaned over. Kissed her lips. She opened her mouth to him allowing him to kiss her deeply for a moment.

She whimpered in frustration.

"Screw this." She said, stomping off.

She pushed her way into the kitchen.

"You're not allowed back here." One of the wait staff told her.

"Cake." She said pointing. "Now." She said pointing out to the ballroom.

The cake – a beautiful white confection with black scrollwork – was brought out immediately, at which point Veronica efficiently sliced two pieces, setting them on desert plates and handing one to Logan.

Logan gently fed her a bite of cake. Veronica took great pleasure in smashing her slice on Logan's face.

"It's been fun. Later." She yelled out to her assembled guests as she grabbed Logan's hand and practically ran out of the ballroom.

She helped get the cake off Logan's face in the elevator, while he worked on finding that zipper.


	11. Thresholds

**Veronica's Hangover**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Thresholds**

* * *

**Flashback - Saturday Evening - Vegas - Honeymoon Suite:**

_Logan lifted Veronica into his arms. _

_"What are you doing?" she asked, giggling. _

_"Carrying my bride over the threshold." Logan answered with a grin. _

_"Mmm...Time for some good wedding night lovin'..." Veronica said as Logan carried her into the room. _

_"Actually Veronica, I've been thinking about that. I don't want to have sex tonight."_

_"That had better be a joke, Logan." Veronica said. _

_"Nope. You're drunker than I thought you were. It's been five years Veronica. I don't want you to be drunk for our first time back together."_

_"I'll change your mind." Veronica smiled. _

_"Nope!" Logan smiled, kissing the tip of her nose. _

_"You have to unbutton me." Veronica told him. "There's no way I can get out of this wedding gown on my own."_

_"Turn around." Logan said rising to stand behind her. He ran the tips of his fingers across her bare shoulder, up the sides of her neck, and back down again. _

_"This is Veronica." He kept telling himself as each covered button revealed another sliver of skin. "This is Veronica. Not Replacement Blonde #22. This is the Real Thing. And I have to go and be all noble." He couldn't help but to lean forward to brush kisses on the back of her shoulders after releasing the final button. Veronica lifted her arms allowing her dress to pool on the floor. _

_Logan groaned at the sight of Veronica in her lingerie. "Stockings? This is punishment for the community pool, isn't it?" He asked raising his eyes to Heaven. _

_Looking everywhere but at Veronica, Logan collected her dress, hanging it in the closet by the hanging straps. He removed his tuxedo jacket, also hanging it in the closet. In the bathroom, Logan dropped his cufflinks next to the sink and stripped down to his silk boxers, after brushing his teeth._

_"Logan…" Veronica called in a singsong voice. _

_Logan returned to the bedroom. Veronica was struggling with the hooks running down the back of her bustier. "Help me?" she asked._

_Logan stepped behind her fighting to keep his eyes above her waist. He flicked the remaining hooks. "I'll get you a t-shirt," he said, returning to the closet. _

_"I won't wear it." Veronica teased. Logan turned back to look at her. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, naked from the waist up._

_"Come here." she commanded, crooking her finger at him. _

_"No." Logan said, shaking his head. _

_"Come here." Veronica repeated, demanding._

_Logan ducked his head and walked to Veronica, begging her with his eyes not to tease him. _

_"These are stuck." Veronica said snapping a garter against her right leg. Logan stared at her for a moment. She snapped the garter again, and he slowly dropped to his knees. He looked at her miserably, and she giggled. Sighing, he unhooked the right garter in the front and back. He inched the stocking agonizingly slowly down her leg. Unable to resist, he kissed each inch of skin that he bared down to her ankle, while Veronica made little sounds of pleasure. Finally, he repeated the process with her left leg. _

_"Those garters weren't really stuck." Logan said, rising and kissing her on the forehead. He sat down on the edge of the bed next to her. _

_"I know." Veronica smiled at him. Logan ran his hands through his hair, watched her stand, and remove her garter belt and her panties. She stepped in front of him naked, and smiled down at him. _

_"So, about that sex..." Veronica said seductively. _

_"Nope!" Logan said. _

_"Mmmm…" Veronica said as she leaned over and kissed a path down Logan's neck. His head fell back as his hands came up to grip her waist, pulling her up to straddle his lap. Veronica grabbed him roughly by the hair and pulled his mouth to hers, kissing him hard, while his hands came around and grabbing her ass, pulling her closer. He slid a hand up to her breast, squeezing, brushing at her nipple until it hardened and then leaning forward to take it into his mouth. Veronica arched her back, lacing her fingers into his hair to pull him closer as she ground down against him. _

_"Wait, stop!" Logan said, coming to his senses. He flipped Veronica onto her back, lavishing some attention on her other breast, only for a moment, before calling a halt. _

_Logan scooted up to the head of the bead, pulling back the blanket and patting the mattress next to him. _

_"Come on. Sleep tonight, sex tomorrow." He said._

_Veronica crawled up the bed towards Logan, sleep the last thing on her mind. _

_"What have I gotten myself into?" Logan groaned. "You're trying to kill me."_

_Veronica slid her hands into the waistband of Logan's boxers. When he reached down and tried to stop her, she began kissing his chest, his waist, his stomach. Logan's hands slid into Veronica's hair, allowing her to reach for his boxers again. She kissed his right hip as she slid the boxers down his legs and off his feet. When she began kissing her way back up his legs, he'd had enough. He pulled her to his lap, wrapping his arms around her tenderly. _

_"No more, Veronica." he said kissing her softly. "No sex tonight. We can have drunk sex anytime, but our reunion sex is going to be while we are both sober."_

_He rolled her so that she was on her back, and pulled the blanket up over her. She tried to reach for his ass, but Logan began tickling her, and she had to fight off his hands as she laughed hysterically. _

_"Logan, stop! I give up. No sex."_

_"Finally!" Logan said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. He slid in under the blanket. _

_"Come here, wife." he said pulling her back snug against his chest. _

_"Are you happy?" Veronica asked._

_"Yes, the happiest I've ever been." Logan admitted. _

_"Are you going to try to get me to move to LA?" Veronica asked._

_"No." Logan said. "Why? Do you want to?"_

_"I'd rather live in Neptune." Veronica said. _

_"Then you're in luck, because I'm coming home." Logan said. _

_"To Neptune?" Veronica asked. "You're kidding."_

_"It's where I belong. I belong with you." _

_"You're really coming home?" Veronica asked._

_"Honestly? The moment you kissed me tonight, I knew I was coming home." Logan admitted. _

_"So what if I had knocked on your door one of those times I sat outside your apartment? Would you have come home then?"_

_"Only, if you had kissed me." Logan smirked. "You know how we are. You and I have never done the casual thing. When we kiss each other, we mean business."_

_Veronica laughed softly. _

_Logan repeatedly wrote 'I love you' on her skin with his index finger as Veronica drifted off to sleep._

* * *

**Present Time - Home Sweet Home:**

"Logan, what are you doing?" Veronica laughed.

"Carrying you over the threshold." Logan said.

"We've been married for three weeks!"

"But this is different. This is _our_ threshold." Logan said, opening the door to their new home.

Stepping inside, he kicked the door shut with his foot.

"You can put me down now." Veronica said.

"I could, but I won't." Logan answered, carrying her to the master suite.

He deposited her on the giant bed flopping down next to her.

"Familiar?" He asked.

"It's the same kind of mattress from the hotel suite!" Veronica said, luxuriating in the comfort.

"It is! Now let's christen it." Logan said rolling on his side and nipping at her breast through her shirt.

They christened the mattress.

In the next three days, they also christened the Jacuzzi, the bathtub, the shower, the couch, the kitchen counter, the washing machine, and half of the surfaces in the pool house.

* * *

"How's dinner coming?" Veronica asked for the fourth time.

"Veronica, trust me. I know how to cook."

"I know." She said. "But it's my dad."

"I'm not going to forget how to cook just because your dad is coming to dinner."

"So what are you going to say if he asks…" She didn't have a chance to finish her question, as Logan lifted her onto the kitchen counter, and shut her up with a kiss.

"Logan…" She said.

"I can answer my own questions, Veronica, and if he doesn't like what I say, he'll have to get over it."

"But…"

"But nothing. And the same goes for Sophia. All that matters is what you think of me and what I think of you." He said, kissing her on the tip of the nose. "Make yourself useful. Chop some onions." He said handing her a knife.

* * *

The dinner dishes soaking in soapy water, Veronica began rinsing while Logan loaded the dishwasher.

"Well, we survived dinner with my father and Sophia without World War Three breaking out. Veronica said.

"Yeah, she was almost civil to him today." Logan said. "And you even let me speak all by myself. Look how far we've come!"

"You did well, husband." Veronica said, scrubbing at one of the plates.

Logan gazed at Veronica lovingly. "You know I've always daydreamed about this."

"This?"

Logan gestured to the sink. "Domestic bliss with you."

"Only you would think washing dishes was daydream material. Most guys dream of naughty nurses or schoolgirl outfits."

Most guys didn't have starlets trying to seduce them at 14. I've seen naughty nurses. I've seen schoolgirl outfits. I've even seen you in schoolgirl outfits. But none of that compares to this. Domesticity is hot."

Logan stepped behind Veronica and pressed against her. He reached his arms around her, slipping his hands into the sudsy water next to hers. Together, they picked up the next plate with their linked left hands, and scrubbed it with their linked right hands. Veronica rinsed the plate and set it on the drying mat next to the sink.

As she reached for the next plate, Logan began kissing the side of her neck. His right hand slid up under Veronica's skirt and began tugging her panties down her legs. Veronica gasped as he touched her and pressed herself hard against him. She had gotten off twice by the time she'd rinsed the last dish and reached behind her for Logan's zipper.

* * *

"Wake up." Logan said.

Veronica ignored him.

"Wake up." Logan said brushing kisses on her face.

Veronica pulled a pillow over her head. Logan lay down, snuggling up against her right side.

"Wake up." He said, running his hand up her stomach.

"Not this again!" She grumbled.

"Wake up." Logan said, licking her left cheek.

"Go away. Ewww, don't lick my face!"

Logan squirmed under the pillow on her left side.

"Ewww stop!"

But wait, how was Logan licking her left cheek when he was pressed up against her right side.

Veronica pulled the pillow off her face, and opened her eyes. A tiny brown and white pit bull puppy wearing a bow was sitting next to her on the bed, wagging his tiny tail.

"Surprise!" Logan said.

Veronica squealed, pulling the puppy to her and giving it kisses.

"You like?" Logan asked.

"Best surprise ever!" She said, setting down the puppy and throwing herself into Logan's arms.

"What should we name him?" Logan asked.

Veronica thought about it for a while. "I always wanted a dog named Sleuth." She said.

"Works for me." Logan said.

"Are we going to be one of those couples who gets our portraits taken with the dog and sends them out as Christmas cards?" Veronica asked snuggling against him.

"Absolutely!" Logan answered. "You, me, the dog, and our two point five kids."

"Logan!" Veronica started, raising her voice, but he kissed her quiet.

* * *

**A/N** - I apologize. I was a little short on inspiration for this chapter, and I'm still shy about writing the sex, so this chapter was a bit tiny.

:( Or maybe I just didn't get enough sleep last night.


	12. Epilogue

**Veronica's Hangover**

* * *

**Epilogue:**

**Vegas Wedding Chapel:**

Elvis zipped up his rhinestone jumpsuit and adjusted his wig.

"Looking good, big guy!" He told his reflection in the mirror.

"Thank you very much!" His reflection responded in Elvis voice.

He practiced a few of his poses and gave his reflection the finger guns, before exiting his dressing room.

He was cutting through the garden on his way to check in with the chapel manager, Norman, when he saw the young couple kissing in the gazebo. They broke apart when they sensed his presence.

"Don't let me interrupt." He said deadpan. "Just passing through." Something looked familiar about the couple.

"Oh hey." He said. "Logan Echolls. And...Veronica was it?"

They waved.

"Why are you two here? Don't tell me we have to start all over again?"

Veronica turned around leaning her back against Logan's chest. His arms came up to circle her. "Start all over?" Logan repeated.

"Did you two crazy kids go and get a divorce without really thinking it over?" He asked changing direction, and walking over to the gazebo.

"No." Logan said. "We just celebrated our one-year anniversary last week."

"Congratulations!" Elvis said reaching out to shake their hands. "You're back for a vow renewal already?" He asked.

"Do you remember our vows?" Logan smirked. "I think she vowed to be 'too much man for me'. Let's just leave that one unrenewed, thank you very much."

"We're the wedding _guests_ tonight." Veronica said.

"Oh. Good. Great, actually." Elvis said nodding. "Which wedding? The Casablancas/MacKenzie wedding or the Mars/Dane wedding?"

"Both!" Logan and Veronica said together.

"You brought us two referrals?" Elvis asked. "Great! You should join our customer loyalty program."

"A wedding chapel has a customer loyalty program?" Veronica asked. "There went my faith in the institution of marriage."

Logan grinned at her.

"So, hey...I have to go talk to the chapel manager. You two kids feel free to enjoy the gazebo until it's time for the first wedding." Elvis said.

Elvis turned some knobs, lowering the lighting in the gazebo to a soft romantic glow, before waving and walking out through the chapel doors.

Logan and Veronica looked up when the song "Love Me Tender" began playing from tiny speakers embedded in the ceiling of the gazebo.

"Elvis is an old softie." Veronica smiled.

"We might as well dance since he went to the effort." Logan said pulling her into his arms. Veronica wrapped her arms around Logan and looked up into his eyes.

"So what are you going to do with your million dollar check from Duncan?" Logan asked. "I was thinking I could quit my job and you could support me like a gigolo."

Veronica laughed softly. "I'm planning to find a larger office for Mars Investigations. Dad and I have been cramped in that little office for too long."

"I told you a long time ago I could help you with that." Logan said.

"I didn't want your help. I wanted to do it on my own, with money I earned. And I sure earned that million from Duncan."

"Yeah, it must have been really hard." Logan said sympathetically. "All that great sex. And delicious home-cooked meals. And the house. And the dog. The honeymoon in Paris. How ever did you survive this past year? It must have been torture." He gave her a chaste kiss on the lips.

"It truly was." Veronica grinned at him.

"So, you planning to leave me, now that your year in captivity is up?" Logan smiled down at her.

Veronica smiled up at him. "Nah. I seem to have developed a case of Stockholm Syndrome." Veronica said, shaking her head sadly.

"Hmmm. I might not be a doctor, but I think Penicillin might clear that right up." Logan smirked. "But seriously. With you getting a bigger office, I want you to hire some muscle."

"Logan…" Veronica warned.

"Veronica." Logan said. "I have a say in this."

"I thought we were clear on that issue." Veronica said.

"We were clear before. But things have changed now, and I want to renegotiate."

"Renegotiate how?" Veronica asked.

"Hire some muscle. Call him your partner, or call him your body guard, but for the next six months while my baby is growing in your belly, I want you to have backup when you go out on cases."

"Logan! Shhhhhhhh!" Veronica said looking around to be sure nobody had overheard.

"Somebody could have overheard that."

Logan blew out a breath. "When were you planning to tell them, Veronica?"

"I wasn't planning to. They'll figure it out when I start showing."

"Veronica!" Logan said in exasperation. "We tell them tonight. It will be our little wedding present to them."

"No." She said pouting.

"We tell them tonight. Or else…" Logan threatened.

"Or else what?" Veronica asked looking up into his eyes in challenge.

"Or else I rent out the Neptune Grand Ballroom, and play our Ultrasound video for 200 of our closest friends and family."

"Tonight is good." Veronica said.

"I thought you'd see reason." Logan smirked at her.

**The End**

* * *

_"This is Logan with today's inspirational greeting. 'You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams. - Dr. Suess'"_

[Originally had this in Logan's wedding vows, but took it out at the last minute. It didn't seem to fit.]

* * *

**A/N**: So that's it for Veronica's Hangover. I can't say I'll _never_ make a sequel - I got a little attached to grouchy old Sophia - but I currently have** 11 stories** that I've started with anywhere from 1 chapter to 11 chapters written out (all LoVe). Some of them I really want to get back to. Some of them need to be meticulously plotted-out; some can kind of meander their way from beginning to end without such a tight plan. I have no idea which one to go with first. When I first started posting this story, I thought I could knock out the smaller ones - the low hanging fruit - to get them out of the way for the bigger ones. I had no idea this would blow up into something larger than the 3-4 chapters I thought it was going to be. I guess my fingers run as much as my mouth. And that theory sucked anyway, because I got halfway through this story and came up with another plot idea that I really want to write. And people complain about writer's block!

**Thank you so much to all of the reviewers! You guys are awesome and amazing, and so encouraging!**

**A/N 2: **As suggested, I think I will change the rating to "T" unless anybody tells me it's a bad idea. I'm not sure where exactly the line is, and whether I crossed it in Chapter 1 or Chapter 9.


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